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Vendruscolo LF, Vendruscolo JCM, Whiting KE, Acri JB, Volkow ND, Koob GF. The mGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulator mavoglurant reduces escalated cocaine self-administration in male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06634-5. [PMID: 38869515 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06634-5] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a brain disorder for which there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacological treatment. Evidence suggests that glutamate and metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) play critical roles in synaptic plasticity, neuronal development, and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the mGlu5 receptor is functionally involved in intravenous cocaine self-administration and assessed the effects of sex and cocaine exposure history. METHODS We used a preclinical model of CUD in rats that were allowed long access (LgA; 6 h/day) or short access (ShA; 1 h/day) to intravenous cocaine (750 µg/kg/infusion [0.1 ml]) self-administration. Rats received acute intraperitoneal or oral administration of the mGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulator mavoglurant (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) or vehicle. RESULTS Both intraperitoneal and oral mavoglurant administration dose-dependently reduced intravenous cocaine self-administration in the first hour and in the entire 6 h session in rats in the LgA group, with no effect on locomotion. In the ShA group, mavoglurant decreased locomotion but had no effects on cocaine self-administration. We did not observe significant sex × treatment interactions. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the mGlu5 receptor is involved in escalated cocaine self-administration. These findings support the development of clinical trials of mavoglurant to evaluate its potential therapeutic benefits for CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro F Vendruscolo
- Stress and Addiction Neuroscience Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, BRC Room 08A727, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
| | - Janaina C M Vendruscolo
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Kimberly E Whiting
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jane B Acri
- Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
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McFarland MH, Machado MMF, Sansbury GM, Musselman KC, Boero G, O'Buckley TK, Carr CC, Morrow AL, Robinson DL. Acute, but not repeated, cocaine exposure alters allopregnanolone levels in the midbrain of male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1011-1025. [PMID: 38282126 PMCID: PMC11180476 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06534-8] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Multiple psychiatric disorders are associated with altered brain and serum levels of neuroactive steroids, including the endogenous GABAergic steroid, allopregnanolone. Clinically, chronic cocaine use was correlated with decreased levels of pregnenolone. Preclinically, the effect of acute cocaine on allopregnanolone levels in rodents has had mixed results, showing an increase or no change in allopregnanolone levels in some brain regions. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that cocaine acutely increases allopregnanolone levels, but repeated cocaine exposure decreases allopregnanolone levels compared to controls. METHODS We performed two separate studies to determine how systemic administration of 15 mg/kg cocaine (1) acutely or (2) chronically alters brain (olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, dorsal striatum, and midbrain) and serum allopregnanolone levels in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS Cocaine acutely increased allopregnanolone levels in the midbrain, but not in olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, or dorsal striatum. Repeated cocaine did not persistently (24 h later) alter allopregnanolone levels in any region in either sex. However, allopregnanolone levels varied by sex across brain regions. In the acute study, we found that females had significantly higher allopregnanolone levels in serum and olfactory bulb relative to males. In the repeated cocaine study, females had significantly higher allopregnanolone levels in olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, and serum. Finally, acute cocaine increased allopregnanolone levels in the frontal cortex of females in proestrus, relative to non-proestrus stages. CONCLUSION Collectively these results suggest that allopregnanolone levels vary across brain regions and by sex, which may play a part in differential responses to cocaine by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna H McFarland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Meira M F Machado
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Griffin M Sansbury
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Kate C Musselman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Giorgia Boero
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Todd K O'Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Crystal C Carr
- Department of Psychology, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Alvarado-Torres JK, Morales-Silva R, Sanabria Ponce de Leon A, Rodriguez-Torres G, Perez-Torres J, Perez-Perez Y, Mueller D, Sepulveda-Orengo MT. Estradiol reduction through aromatase inhibition impairs cocaine seeking in male rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1307606. [PMID: 38292056 PMCID: PMC10824998 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1307606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Clinical and preclinical research on cocaine use disorder (CUD) has shown that sex differences in drug seeking are influenced by hormonal fluctuations. Estradiol (E2), a sex steroid hormone, has been linked to female drug effects, vulnerability to use/abuse, and psychosocial factors. Preclinical studies show that estradiol in females facilitates the extinction of cocaine-seeking behavior indicating a possible role in regulating extinction learning. Similar to females, males' brains contain the aromatase enzyme which converts testosterone to estradiol. However, it is unclear whether estradiol plays a role in male extinction learning as it does in females. Furthermore, how endogenously aromatized estradiol affects drug addiction in males is unknown. Therefore, this study investigated whether endogenous estradiol regulates cocaine seeking in male rats. We hypothesized that decreased aromatase enzyme activity, resulting in decreased estradiol synthesis in male brains, will impair extinction learning leading to increased cocaine-seeking behavior. Methods This hypothesis was tested using cocaine-conditioned place preference (CPP), and short access self-administration (SA), followed by extinction and reinstatement. Before each extinction session for CPP or SA, male rats received an injection of either 1 (low dose) or 2.5 mg/kg (high dose) of the aromatase inhibitor Fadrozole (FAD), or vehicle. Results FAD groups showed dose-dependent effects on cocaine-seeking behavior compared to the vehicle group during CPP extinction. Specifically, low dose FAD facilitated extinction of cocaine CPP, whereas high dose FAD impaired it. In contrast, neither dose of FAD had any effects on the extinction of cocaine SA. Interestingly, only the low dose FAD group had decreased active lever pressing during cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement compared to the vehicle group. Neither dose of FAD had an effect on sucrose extinction or reinstatement of sucrose seeking. Discussion These results from CPP experiments suggest that estradiol may impact extinction learning, as a low dose of FAD may strengthen the formation of cocaine extinction memory. Additionally, in male rats undergoing cocaine SA, the same low dose of aromatase inhibitor effectively reduced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. Thus, estradiol impacts cocaine seeking and extinction in both males and females, and it may also influence the development of sex-specific treatment strategies for CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John K. Alvarado-Torres
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Roberto Morales-Silva
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Genesis Rodriguez-Torres
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Joshua Perez-Torres
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Yobet Perez-Perez
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Devin Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Marian T. Sepulveda-Orengo
- Basic Sciences Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
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Radhakrishna U, Sadhasivam S, Radhakrishnan R, Forray A, Muvvala SB, Metpally RP, Patel S, Rawal RM, Vishweswaraiah S, Bahado-Singh RO, Nath SK. Placental cytochrome P450 methylomes in infants exposed to prenatal opioids: exploring the effects of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome on health horizons. Front Genet 2024; 14:1292148. [PMID: 38264209 PMCID: PMC10805101 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1292148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), arises due to increased opioid use during pregnancy. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play a pivotal role in metabolizing a wide range of substances in the human body, including opioids, other drugs, toxins, and endogenous compounds. The association between CYP gene methylation and opioid effects is unexplored and it could offer promising insights. Objective: To investigate the impact of prenatal opioid exposure on disrupted CYPs in infants and their anticipated long-term clinical implications. Study Design: DNA methylation levels of CYP genes were analyzed in a cohort of 96 placental tissues using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC (850 k) BeadChips. This involved three groups of placental tissues: 32 from mothers with infants exposed to opioids prenatally requiring pharmacologic treatment for NOWS, 32 from mothers with prenatally opioid-exposed infants not needing NOWS treatment, and 32 from unexposed control mothers. Results: The study identified 20 significantly differentially methylated CpG sites associated with 17 distinct CYP genes, with 14 CpGs showing reduced methylation across 14 genes (CYP19A1, CYP1A2, CYP4V2, CYP1B1, CYP24A1, CYP26B1, CYP26C1, CYP2C18, CYP2C9, CYP2U1, CYP39A1, CYP2R1, CYP4Z1, CYP2D7P1 and), while 8 exhibited hypermethylation (CYP51A1, CYP26B1, CYP2R1, CYP2U1, CYP4X1, CYP1A2, CYP2W1, and CYP4V2). Genes such as CYP1A2, CYP26B1, CYP2R1, CYP2U1, and CYP4V2 exhibited both increased and decreased methylation. These genes are crucial for metabolizing eicosanoids, fatty acids, drugs, and diverse substances. Conclusion: The study identified profound methylation changes in multiple CYP genes in the placental tissues relevant to NOWS. This suggests that disruption of DNA methylation patterns in CYP transcripts might play a role in NOWS and may serve as valuable biomarkers, suggesting a future pathway for personalized treatment. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore their potential for diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uppala Radhakrishna
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, United States
| | - Senthilkumar Sadhasivam
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rupa Radhakrishnan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Ariadna Forray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Srinivas B. Muvvala
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Raghu P. Metpally
- Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Geisinger, Danville, PA, United States
| | - Saumya Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Rakesh M. Rawal
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Sangeetha Vishweswaraiah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, United States
| | - Ray O. Bahado-Singh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, United States
| | - Swapan K. Nath
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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Knouse MC, Deutschmann AU, Nenov MN, Wimmer ME, Briand LA. Sex differences in pre- and post-synaptic glutamate signaling in the nucleus accumbens core. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:52. [PMID: 37596655 PMCID: PMC10439632 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00537-4] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glutamate signaling within the nucleus accumbens underlies motivated behavior and is involved in psychiatric disease. Although behavioral sex differences in these processes are well-established, the neural mechanisms driving these differences are largely unexplored. In these studies, we examine potential sex differences in synaptic plasticity and excitatory transmission within the nucleus accumbens core. Further understanding of baseline sex differences in reward circuitry will shed light on potential mechanisms driving behavioral differences in motivated behavior and psychiatric disease. METHODS Behaviorally naïve adult male and female Long-Evans rats, C57Bl/6J mice, and constitutive PKMζ knockout mice were killed and tissue containing the nucleus accumbens core was collected for ex vivo slice electrophysiology experiments. Electrophysiology recordings examined baseline sex differences in synaptic plasticity and transmission within this region and the potential role of PKMζ in long-term depression. RESULTS Within the nucleus accumbens core, both female mice and rats exhibit higher AMPA/NMDA ratios compared to male animals. Further, female mice have a larger readily releasable pool of glutamate and lower release probability compared to male mice. No significant sex differences were detected in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current amplitude or frequency. Finally, the threshold for induction of long-term depression was lower for male animals than females, an effect that appears to be mediated, in part, by PKMζ. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that there are baseline sex differences in synaptic plasticity and excitatory transmission in the nucleus accumbens core. Our data suggest there are sex differences at multiple levels in this region that should be considered in the development of pharmacotherapies to treat psychiatric illnesses such as depression and substance use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa C Knouse
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Andre U Deutschmann
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Miroslav N Nenov
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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Chapp AD, Nwakama CA, Thomas MJ, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. Sex Differences in Cocaine Sensitization Vary by Mouse Strain. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 113:1167-1176. [PMID: 37040721 DOI: 10.1159/000530591] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical literature, frequently utilizing rats, suggests females display a more rapid advancement of substance abuse and a greater risk of relapse following drug abstinence. In clinical populations, it is less clear as to what extent biological sex is a defining variable in the acquisition and maintenance of substance use. Even without considering environmental experiences, genetic factors are presumed to critically influence the vulnerability to addiction. Genetically diverse mouse models provide a robust tool to examine the interactions between genetic background and sex differences in substance abuse. METHODS We explored mouse strain variability in male versus female behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Locomotor sensitization was observed following 5 consecutive days of subcutaneous cocaine across three genetically different mice strains: C57BL/6J, B6129SF2/J, and Diversity Outbred (DO/J). RESULTS Sex differences in cocaine locomotor sensitization were dependent on mouse strain. Specifically, we observed opposing sex differences in locomotor sensitization, with male C57BL/6J and female B6129SF2/J mice displaying heightened activity compared to their opposite sex counterparts. Conversely, no sex differences were observed in the DO/J mice. Acute cocaine administration resulted in locomotor differences across strains in male, but not female, mice. The magnitude of sensitization (or lack thereof) also varied by genetic background. CONCLUSIONS While sex differences in drug addiction may be observed, these effects can be mitigated, or even reversed, depending on genetic background. The clinical implications are that in the absence of understanding the genetic variables underlying vulnerability to addiction, sex provides little information regarding the predisposition of an individual to drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Chapp
- Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Chinonso A Nwakama
- Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Towers EB, Setaro B, Lynch WJ. Estradiol Enhances the Development of Addiction-Like Features in a Female Rat Model of Opioid Use Disorder. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 113:1099-1111. [PMID: 36878201 PMCID: PMC10644281 DOI: 10.1159/000529997] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Women are more vulnerable than men in many aspects of opioid use disorder (OUD); a major theory of sex differences in substance use disorders is that these differences are due to ovarian hormones with estradiol enhancing vulnerability in females. However, most of this evidence is for psychostimulants and alcohol; evidence with opioids is sparse. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine the impact of estradiol on vulnerability in females in a rat model of OUD. METHOD Following self-administration training, ovariectomized (OVX) females with (E) or without (V) estradiol replacement were given extended (24 h/day), intermittent access (2, 5-min trials/h) to fentanyl for 10 days. Then, the development of three key features of OUD were assessed, including physical dependence, defined by the magnitude and time course of weight loss during withdrawal; an enhanced motivation for fentanyl, assessed using a progressive-ratio schedule; and relapse vulnerability, assessed using an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure. These later two characteristics were examined following 14 days of withdrawal when the phenotypes are known to be highly expressed. RESULTS OVX+E females self-administered markedly higher levels of fentanyl under extended, intermittent-access conditions and showed a longer time course of physical dependence, a greater increase in motivation for fentanyl, and an enhanced sensitivity to the reinstating effects of fentanyl-associated cues compared to OVX+V rats. Severe health complications were also observed in OVX+E, but not OVX+V females, during withdrawal. CONCLUSION These results indicate that, as with findings with psychostimulants and alcohol, estradiol enhances vulnerability in females to developing opioid addiction-like features and serious opioid-related health complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ben Setaro
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Wendy J. Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Towers EB, Williams IL, Qillawala EI, Rissman EF, Lynch WJ. Sex/Gender Differences in the Time-Course for the Development of Substance Use Disorder: A Focus on the Telescoping Effect. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:217-249. [PMID: 36781217 PMCID: PMC9969523 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000361] [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] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex/gender effects have been demonstrated for multiple aspects of addiction, with one of the most commonly cited examples being the "telescoping effect" where women meet criteria and/or seek treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) after fewer years of drug use as compared with men. This phenomenon has been reported for multiple drug classes including opioids, psychostimulants, alcohol, and cannabis, as well as nonpharmacological addictions, such as gambling. However, there are some inconsistent reports that show either no difference between men and women or opposite effects and a faster course to addiction in men than women. Thus, the goals of this review are to evaluate evidence for and against the telescoping effect in women and to determine the conditions/populations for which the telescoping effect is most relevant. We also discuss evidence from preclinical studies, which strongly support the validity of the telescoping effect and show that female animals develop addiction-like features (e.g., compulsive drug use, an enhanced motivation for the drug, and enhanced drug-craving/vulnerability to relapse) more readily than male animals. We also discuss biologic factors that may contribute to the telescoping effect, such as ovarian hormones, and its neurobiological basis focusing on the mesolimbic dopamine reward pathway and the corticomesolimbic glutamatergic pathway considering the critical roles these pathways play in the rewarding/reinforcing effects of addictive drugs and SUD. We conclude with future research directions, including intervention strategies to prevent the development of SUD in women. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: One of the most widely cited gender/sex differences in substance use disorder (SUD) is the "telescoping effect," which reflects an accelerated course in women versus men for the development and/or seeking treatment for SUD. This review evaluates evidence for and against a telescoping effect drawing upon data from both clinical and preclinical studies. We also discuss the contribution of biological factors and underlying neurobiological mechanisms and highlight potential targets to prevent the development of SUD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Ivy L Williams
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emaan I Qillawala
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
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Corbett CM, Miller EN, Loweth JA. mGlu5 inhibition in the basolateral amygdala prevents estrous cycle-dependent changes in cue-induced cocaine seeking. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 5:100055. [PMID: 36778664 PMCID: PMC9915145 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Drug associated cues are a common relapse trigger for individuals recovering from cocaine use disorder. Sex and ovarian hormones influence patterns of cocaine use and relapse vulnerability, with studies indicating that females show increased cue-induced craving and relapse vulnerability compared to males. In a rodent model of cocaine craving and relapse vulnerability, cue-induced cocaine seeking behavior following weeks of withdrawal from extended-access cocaine self-administration is higher in females in the estrus stage of the reproductive (estrous) cycle (Estrus Females) compared to both Males and females in all other stages (Non-Estrus Females). However, the neuronal substrates and cellular mechanisms underlying these sex differences is not fully understood. One region that contributes to both sex differences in behavioral responding and cue-induced cocaine seeking is the basolateral amygdala (BLA), while one receptor known to play a critical role in mediating cocaine seeking behavior is metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5). Here we assessed the effects of BLA mGlu5 inhibition following prolonged withdrawal from cocaine self-administration on observed estrous cycle-dependent changes in cue-induced cocaine seeking behavior. We found that BLA microinjections of the mGlu5 antagonist MTEP selectively reduced the enhanced cue-induced cocaine seeking normally observed in Estrus Females while having no effect on cocaine seeking in Males and Non-Estrus Females. These findings identify a unique interaction between cocaine-exposure, estrous cycle fluctuations and BLA mGlu5-dependent transmission on cue-induced cocaine seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M. Corbett
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States,Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Emily N.D. Miller
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Jessica A. Loweth
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States,Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States,Corresponding author at: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ 08084, United States. (J.A. Loweth)
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10
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Johnson CS, Mermelstein PG. The interaction of membrane estradiol receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors in adaptive and maladaptive estradiol-mediated motivated behaviors in females. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 168:33-91. [PMID: 36868633 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen receptors were initially identified as intracellular, ligand-regulated transcription factors that result in genomic change upon ligand binding. However, rapid estrogen receptor signaling initiated outside of the nucleus was also known to occur via mechanisms that were less clear. Recent studies indicate that these traditional receptors, estrogen receptor α and estrogen receptor β, can also be trafficked to act at the surface membrane. Signaling cascades from these membrane-bound estrogen receptors (mERs) can rapidly alter cellular excitability and gene expression, particularly through the phosphorylation of CREB. A principal mechanism of neuronal mER action has been shown to occur through glutamate-independent transactivation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu), which elicits multiple signaling outcomes. The interaction of mERs with mGlu has been shown to be important in many diverse functions in females, including driving motivated behaviors. Experimental evidence suggests that a large part of estradiol-induced neuroplasticity and motivated behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, occurs through estradiol-dependent mER activation of mGlu. Herein we will review signaling through estrogen receptors, both "classical" nuclear receptors and membrane-bound receptors, as well as estradiol signaling through mGlu. We will focus on how the interactions of these receptors and their downstream signaling cascades are involved in driving motivated behaviors in females, discussing a representative adaptive motivated behavior (reproduction) and maladaptive motivated behavior (addiction).
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
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11
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Pardo M, Martin M, Gainetdinov RR, Mash DC, Izenwasser S. Heterozygote Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats Display Enhanced Cocaine Locomotion in Adolescent Females. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315414. [PMID: 36499749 PMCID: PMC9736933 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine is a powerful psychostimulant that is one of the most widely used illicit addictive. The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a major role in mediating cocaine's reward effect. Decreases in DAT expression increase rates of drug abuse and vulnerability to comorbid psychiatric disorders. We used the novel DAT transgenic rat model to study the effects of cocaine on locomotor behaviors in adolescent rats, with an emphasis on sex. Female rats showed higher response rates to cocaine at lower acute and chronic doses, highlighting a higher vulnerability and perceived gender effects. In contrast, locomotor responses to an acute high dose of cocaine were more marked and sustained in male DAT heterozygous (HET) adolescents. The results demonstrate the augmented effects of chronic cocaine in HET DAT adolescent female rats. Knockout (KO) DAT led to a level of hyperdopaminergia which caused a marked basal hyperactivity that was unchanged, consistent with a possible ceiling effect. We suggest a role of alpha synuclein (α-syn) and PICK 1 protein expressions to the increased vulnerability in female rats. These proteins showed a lower expression in female HET and KO rats. This study highlights gender differences associated with mutations which affect DAT expression and can increase susceptibility to cocaine abuse in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pardo
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-786-230-7181
| | - Michele Martin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine and St. Petersburg University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb. 7-9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Deborah C Mash
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Sari Izenwasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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12
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Guo R, Wang Y, Yan R, Chen B, Ding W, Gorczyca MT, Ozsoy S, Cai L, Hines RL, Tseng GC, Allocca G, Dong Y, Fang J, Huang YH. Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Engages Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neurons to Reduce Cocaine Seeking. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:880-894. [PMID: 35953320 PMCID: PMC9872495 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent sleep disruptions following withdrawal from abused drugs may hold keys to battle drug relapse. It is posited that there may be sleep signatures that predict relapse propensity, identifying which may open new avenues for treating substance use disorders. METHODS We trained male rats (approximately postnatal day 56) to self-administer cocaine. After long-term drug withdrawal (approximately postnatal day 100), we examined the correlations between the intensity of cocaine seeking and key sleep features. To test for causal relationships, we then used behavioral, chemogenetic, or optogenetic methods to selectively increase rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) and measured behavioral and electrophysiological outcomes to probe for cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying REMS-mediated regulation of cocaine seeking. RESULTS A selective set of REMS features was preferentially associated with the intensity of cue-induced cocaine seeking after drug withdrawal. Moreover, selectively increasing REMS time and continuity by environmental warming attenuated a withdrawal time-dependent intensification of cocaine seeking, or incubation of cocaine craving, suggesting that REMS may benefit withdrawal. Warming increased the activity of lateral hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons selectively during prolonged REMS episodes and counteracted cocaine-induced synaptic accumulation of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in the nucleus accumbens-a critical substrate for incubation. Finally, the warming effects were partly mimicked by chemogenetic or optogenetic stimulations of MCH neurons during sleep, or intra-accumbens infusions of MCH peptide during the rat's inactive phase. CONCLUSIONS REMS may encode individual vulnerability to relapse, and MCH neuron activities can be selectively targeted during REMS to reduce drug relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wanqiao Ding
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael T Gorczyca
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sahin Ozsoy
- Somnivore Pty. Ltd., Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia
| | - Li Cai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Rachel L Hines
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Giancarlo Allocca
- Somnivore Pty. Ltd., Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jidong Fang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Yanhua H Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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13
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Effects of Early Weaning Associated with Alimentary Stress on Emotional and Feeding Behavior of Female Adult Wistar Rats. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12060171. [PMID: 35735381 PMCID: PMC9220599 DOI: 10.3390/bs12060171] [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: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal lactation proves crucial for mammals’ nutrition during their early development, influencing the development of adult physiological mechanisms. Its premature termination has been associated with several disorders, but these have been primarily documented in males, when they are most prevalent in women. Therefore, we subjected adult female Wistar rats to Early Weaning through maternal separation at age 15 days to acute alimentary stress in the form of visual and olfactory exposition to a cafeteria diet sans consumption for 22 days. We measured standard diet intake and water intake daily and cafeteria diet intake every 7 days. Additionally, we evaluated anxiety using the elevated plus maze and measured body weight in similar intervals. Results showed less consumption of the cafeteria diet among Early Weaning rats on day 2 and more time spent in the maze’s central area by the Early Weaning rats during the basal evaluation and in the maze’s open arms by control rats on day 7 when compared to the same group’s basal time. No other significant differences were found. These results show the importance of determining the impact that female steroidal gonadal hormones such as estradiol have upon feeding behavior and anxiety and determining to what degree these parameters are influenced by hormonal action.
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14
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Chen KR, Wang HY, Liao YH, Sun LH, Huang YH, Yu L, Kuo PL. Effects of Septin-14 Gene Deletion on Adult Cognitive/Emotional Behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:880858. [PMID: 35571367 PMCID: PMC9100402 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.880858] [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: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While various septin GTPases have been reported for their physiological functions, their roles in orchestrating complex cognitive/emotional functions in adult mammals remained scarcely explored. A comprehensive behavioral test battery was administered to two sexes of 12-week-old Septin-14 (SEPT14) knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. The sexually dimorphic effects of brain SEPT14 KO on inhibitory avoidance (IA) and hippocampal mGluR5 expression were noticed with greater IA latency and elevated mGluR5 level exclusively in male KO mice. Moreover, SEPT14 KO appeared to be associated with stress-provoked anxiety increase in a stress-related navigation task regardless of animals’ sexes. While male and female WT mice demonstrated comparable cell proliferation in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), both sexes of SEPT14 KO mice had increased cell proliferation in the ventral DG. Finally, male and female SEPT14 KO mice displayed dampened observational fear conditioning magnitude and learning-provoked corticosterone secretion as compared to their same-sex WT mice. These results, taken together, prompt us to conclude that male, but not female, mice lacking the Septin-14 gene may exhibit increased aversive emotion-related learning and dorsal/ventral hippocampal mGluR5 expressions. Moreover, deletion of SEPT14 may be associated with elevated ventral hippocampal DG cell proliferation and stress-provoked anxiety-like behavior, while dampening vicarious fear conditioning magnitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Ru Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Han-Yu Wang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Han Liao
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Li-Han Sun
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Han Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Lung Yu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- Lung Yu,
| | - Pao-Lin Kuo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Pao-Lin Kuo,
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15
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Johnson CS, Micevych PE, Mermelstein PG. Membrane estrogen signaling in female reproduction and motivation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1009379. [PMID: 36246891 PMCID: PMC9557733 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1009379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptors were initially identified in the uterus, and later throughout the brain and body as intracellular, ligand-regulated transcription factors that affect genomic change upon ligand binding. However, rapid estrogen receptor signaling initiated outside of the nucleus was also known to occur via mechanisms that were less clear. Recent studies indicate that these traditional receptors, estrogen receptor-α and estrogen receptor-β, can also be trafficked to act at the surface membrane. Signaling cascades from these membrane-bound estrogen receptors (mERs) not only rapidly effect cellular excitability, but can and do ultimately affect gene expression, as seen through the phosphorylation of CREB. A principal mechanism of neuronal mER action is through glutamate-independent transactivation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which elicits multiple signaling outcomes. The interaction of mERs with mGluRs has been shown to be important in many diverse functions in females, including, but not limited to, reproduction and motivation. Here we review membrane-initiated estrogen receptor signaling in females, with a focus on the interactions between these mERs and mGluRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S. Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- *Correspondence: Caroline S. Johnson,
| | - Paul E Micevych
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Paul G. Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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16
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Chang HA, Dai W, Hu SSJ. Sex differences in cocaine-associated memory: The interplay between CB 1, mGluR5, and estradiol. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105366. [PMID: 34419761 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We know surprisingly little about the sex differences in the neurobiology of cocaine addiction, except females are more susceptible to the rewarding effects of cocaine than their male counterparts. Only a handful of recent studies have examined the neurobiology of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) memory among female rodents. We contribute to this emerging line of research by documenting sex differences in cocaine-associated memory and illustrating the underlying signaling pathways in five experiments. Rimonabant (Rim), a cannabinoid CB1 antagonist and inverse agonist, exerted a facilitating effect for low-dose cocaine and an impairing effect for high-dose cocaine CPP memory in male mice, as in our previous study, but not in female mice. Nor did we observe the effect exist among CB1 knockout male mice, which indicated that the CB1 receptors played a mediating role. We also found that the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) was located in the same signaling pathway as CB1 in male mice. To clarify the mechanisms behind the sex differences, we used ovariectomized (OVX) female mice with estradiol benzoate (EB) replacement. In the OVX female mice, we showed that Rim-alone and EB-alone, but not Rim-and-EB-combined, facilitated the low-dose cocaine CPP memory. Moreover, 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, blocked Rim's and EB's facilitating effect. Finally, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), an mGluR5 antagonist, partially blocked EB's facilitating effect. In sum, we identified sex-specific effects of Rim on cocaine-induced CPP memory and the respective signaling pathways: mGluR5-CB1 for male mice and ER-mGluR5-CB1 for female mice. These findings may have merits for the development of sex-specific treatment for cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Ai Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Wen Dai
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Sherry Shu-Jung Hu
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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17
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Maher EE, Overby PF, Bull AH, Beckmann JS, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Koebele SV, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Gipson CD. Natural and synthetic estrogens specifically alter nicotine demand and cue-induced nicotine seeking in female rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108756. [PMID: 34416269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Women have more difficulty maintaining smoking cessation than men, and experience greater withdrawal symptomatology as well as higher prevalence of relapse. Further, currently available treatments for smoking cessation, such as the nicotine patch and varenicline, have been shown to be less effective in women. Fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle can affect craving and smoking relapse propensity. In addition, many women who smoke use some form of oral contraceptives, which most often contain ethinyl estradiol (EE), a synthetic, orally bio-available estrogen that is currently prescribed to women chronically and has been shown to alter smoking reward in women. The current study examined the impact of 17β-estradiol (E2), the prominent endogenous form of the steroid hormone estrogen, as well as EE, on nicotine self-administration, demand, and reinstatement following ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery. OVX vehicle-treated female rats consumed less nicotine, had lower intensity of demand, and reinstated less compared to sham vehicle-treated female rats. OVX-E2 and OVX-EE treatment groups showed a rebound of nicotine intake later in training, and Q0 levels of consumption were partially rescued in both groups. Further, E2 but not EE reversed the abolishment of reinstated nicotine seeking induced by OVX. Taken together, these results demonstrate that natural and synthetic estrogens play a critical role in mediating the neurobehavioral effects of nicotine, and future studies are essential for our understanding of how synthetic hormones contained within oral contraceptives interact with smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Maher
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Paula F Overby
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amanda H Bull
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Joshua S Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Stephanie V Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizonia Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizonia Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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18
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Ca 2+ channel blockade reduces cocaine's vasoconstriction and neurotoxicity in the prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:459. [PMID: 34489397 PMCID: PMC8421405 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01573-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine profoundly affects both cerebral blood vessels and neuronal activity in the brain. The vasoconstrictive effects of cocaine, concurrently with its effects on neuronal [Ca2+]i accumulation are likely to jeopardize neuronal tissue that in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) could contribute to impaired self-regulation and compulsive cocaine consumption. Here we used optical imaging to study the cerebrovascular and neuronal effects of acute cocaine (1 mg/kg i.v.) and to examine whether selective blockade of L-type Ca2+ channels by Nifedipine (NIF) (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) would alleviate cocaine's effects on hemodynamics (measured with cerebral blood volume, HbT), oxygenation (measured with oxygenated hemoglobin, HbO2) and neuronal [Ca2+]i, which were concomitantly measured in the PFC of naive rats. Our results show that in the PFC acute cocaine significantly reduced flow delivery (HbT), increased neuronal [Ca2+]i accumulation and profoundly reduced tissue oxygenation (HbO2) and these effects were significantly attenuated by NIF pretreatment. They also show that cocaine-induced vasoconstriction is distinct from its increase of neuronal [Ca2+]i accumulation though both of them contribute to hypoxemia and both effects were attenuated by NIF. These results provide evidence that blockade of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels might be beneficial in preventing vasoconstriction and neurotoxic effects of cocaine and give support for further clinical investigations to determine their value in reducing cocaine's neurotoxicity in cocaine use disorders.
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19
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Quigley JA, Logsdon MK, Graham BC, Beaudoin KG, Becker JB. Activation of G protein-coupled estradiol receptor 1 in the dorsolateral striatum enhances motivation for cocaine and drug-induced reinstatement in female but not male rats. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:46. [PMID: 34391470 PMCID: PMC8364009 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Estradiol potentiates drug-taking behaviors, including motivation to self-administer cocaine and reinstatement of drug-seeking after extinction in females, but not males. The dorsolateral stratum (DLS) is a region of the brain implicated in mediating drug-seeking behaviors and, more specifically, is a target brain area to study how estradiol regulates these behaviors. The estradiol receptors α, β, and G protein-coupled estradiol receptor 1 (GPER1) are all present in the DLS. In this study, the effects of activating GPER1 in the DLS on drug-seeking are investigated. Methods Gonad-intact male and female rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.4 mg/kg/inf) on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement. For 4 weeks, animals underwent testing on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement to determine their motivation to attain cocaine. Halfway through progressive ratio testing, a selective agonist targeting GPER1 (G1) was administered intra-DLS to determine the contribution of GPER1 activation on motivation for cocaine. The effects of intra-DLS GPER1 activation on drug-induced reinstatement after extinction were subsequently determined. Results Activation of GPER1, via intra-DLS G1 administration, potentiated females’ motivation to self-administer cocaine. There was no effect of prior G1 treatment on extinction of cocaine-taking in females; however, G1 treatment resulted in greater drug-induced reinstatement (10 mg/kg cocaine, i.p.). There were no effects of intra-DLS GPER1 activation observed on motivation for cocaine or cocaine-induced reinstatement of responding in males. Conclusions These results support the conclusion that activation of GPER1 in the DLS enhances cocaine-seeking behaviors for female, but not male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Quigley
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Molly K Logsdon
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Brianna C Graham
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kendra G Beaudoin
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jill B Becker
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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20
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Addiction among women and sexual minority groups. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33008541 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00028-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Gender-related alcohol and drug abuse problems are related not only to biologic differences but also to social and environment factors, all of which can influence the clinical presentation, consequences of use, and treatment approaches. The number of women becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs of abuse has significantly increased with women becoming the fastest-growing group of substance abusers in the United States. Given that women experience a more rapid progression of their addiction than men, it is important that we understand and address the differences to help develop prevention and treatment programs that are tailored for women, incorporating trauma assessment and management, comorbidities, financial independence, pregnancy, and child care.
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21
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Landfield Q, Saito M, Hashim A, Canals-Baker S, Sershen H, Levy E, Saito M. Cocaine Induces Sex-Associated Changes in Lipid Profiles of Brain Extracellular Vesicles. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:2909-2922. [PMID: 34245421 PMCID: PMC8490334 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03395-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant with diverse effects on physiology. Recent studies indicate the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by neural cells in the cocaine addiction process. It is hypothesized that cocaine affects secretion levels of EVs and their cargos, resulting in modulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity related to addiction physiology and pathology. Lipids present in EVs are important for EV formation and for intercellular lipid exchange that may trigger physiological and pathological responses, including neuroplasticity, neurotoxicity, and neuroinflammation. Specific lipids are highly enriched in EVs compared to parent cells, and recent studies suggest the involvement of various lipids in drug-induced synaptic plasticity during the development and maintenance of addiction processes. Therefore, we examined interstitial small EVs isolated from the brain of mice treated with either saline or cocaine, focusing on the effects of cocaine on the lipid composition of EVs. We demonstrate that 12 days of noncontingent repeated cocaine (10 mg/kg) injections to mice, which induce locomotor sensitization, cause lipid composition changes in brain EVs of male mice as compared with saline-injected controls. The most prominent change is the elevation of GD1a ganglioside in brain EVs of males. However, cocaine does not affect the EV lipid profiles of the brain in female mice. Understanding the relationship between lipid composition in EVs and vulnerability to cocaine addiction may provide insight into novel targets for therapies for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qwynn Landfield
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Mitsuo Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Audrey Hashim
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Stefanie Canals-Baker
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Henry Sershen
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Efrat Levy
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Knouse MC, Briand LA. Behavioral sex differences in cocaine and opioid use disorders: The role of gonadal hormones. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:358-366. [PMID: 34214512 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Females are more vulnerable than males to many aspects of cocaine use disorder. This vulnerability also translates to opioid use disorder, with females exhibiting stronger behavioral responses than males to drugs such as heroin and morphine. While there is evidence for many overlapping neural mechanisms underlying cocaine and opioid abuse, there is also a breadth of evidence indicating divergent effects of the drugs on synaptic plasticity. This makes it unclear whether the behavioral sex differences seen in substance use disorder across different drugs of abuse rely on the same mechanisms. Ovarian hormones have consistently been implicated as drivers of the behavioral sex differences in cocaine taking and seeking. While there are far fewer studies on the role of ovarian hormones in opioid use disorder, the existing data suggest that ovarian hormones may not drive these behavioral effects in the same manner as in cocaine use disorder. This review highlights evidence that behavioral sex differences in substance use disorder might be driven by different mechanisms depending on drug class.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, United States; Neuroscience Program, Temple University, United States.
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23
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Abstract
Animal models of addictive behaviors are useful for uncovering neural mechanisms involved in the development of dependence and for identifying risk factors for drug abuse. One such risk factor is biological sex, which strongly moderates drug self-administration behavior in rodents. Female rodents are more likely to acquire drug self-administration behaviors, consume higher amounts of drug, and reinstate drug-seeking behavior more readily. Despite this female vulnerability, preclinical addiction research has largely been done in male animals. The study of sex differences in rodent models of addictive behavior is increasing, however, as more investigators are choosing to include both male and female animals in experiments. This commentary is meant to serve as an introductory guide for preclinical investigators new to the study of sex differences in addiction. We provide an overview of self-administration models, a broad view of female versus male self-administration behaviors, and suggestions for study design and implementation. Inclusion of female subjects in preclinical addiction research is timely, as problem drug and alcohol use in women is increasing. With proper attention, design, and analysis, the study of sex differences in addiction has the potential to uncover novel neural mechanisms and lead to greater translational success for addiction research. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
| | - Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
| | - Sean C. Monroe
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
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24
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Quigley JA, Logsdon MK, Turner CA, Gonzalez IL, Leonardo NB, Becker JB. Sex differences in vulnerability to addiction. Neuropharmacology 2021; 187:108491. [PMID: 33567305 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews evidence for sex differences in vulnerability to addiction with an emphasis on the neural mechanisms underlying these differences. Sex differences in the way that the gonadal hormone, estradiol, interacts with the ascending telencephalic dopamine system results in sex differences in motivated behaviors, including drug-seeking. In rodents, repeated psychostimulant exposure enhances incentive sensitization to a greater extent in females than males. Estradiol increases females' motivation to attain psychostimulants and enhances the value of drug related cues, which ultimately increases their susceptibility towards spontaneous relapse. This, along with females' dampened ability to alter decisions regarding risky behaviors, enhances their vulnerability for escalation of drug use. In males, recent evidence suggests that estradiol may be protective against susceptibility towards drug-preference. Sex differences in the actions of estradiol are reviewed to provide a foundation for understanding how future research might enhance understanding of the mechanisms of sex differences in addiction-related behaviors, which are dependent on estradiol receptor (ER) subtype and the region of the brain they are acting in. A comprehensive review of the distribution of ERα, ERβ, and GPER1 throughout the rodent brain are provided along with a discussion of the possible ways in which these patterns differentially regulate drug-taking between the sexes. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the actions of gonadal hormones on the circuitry of the stress system, including the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and regulation of corticotropin-releasing factor. Sex differences in the stress system can also contribute to females' enhanced vulnerability towards addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Quigley
- Psychology Department, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA
| | - Molly K Logsdon
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA
| | - Christopher A Turner
- Psychology Department, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA
| | - Ivette L Gonzalez
- Psychology Department, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA
| | - N B Leonardo
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA
| | - Jill B Becker
- Psychology Department, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 48109 USA.
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25
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Ma R, Mikhail ME, Culbert KM, Johnson AW, Sisk CL, Klump KL. Ovarian Hormones and Reward Processes in Palatable Food Intake and Binge Eating. Physiology (Bethesda) 2021; 35:69-78. [PMID: 31799907 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00013.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones are associated with risk for binge eating in women. Recent animal and human studies suggest that food-related reward processing may be one set of neurobiological factors that contribute to these relationships, but additional studies are needed to confirm and extend findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Megan E Mikhail
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kristen M Culbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Alex W Johnson
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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26
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Taxier LR, Gross KS, Frick KM. Oestradiol as a neuromodulator of learning and memory. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:535-550. [PMID: 32879508 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0362-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although hormones such as glucocorticoids have been broadly accepted in recent decades as general neuromodulators of memory processes, sex steroid hormones such as the potent oestrogen 17β-oestradiol have been less well recognized by the scientific community in this capacity. The predominance of females in studies of oestradiol and memory and the general (but erroneous) perception that oestrogens are 'female' hormones have probably prevented oestradiol from being more widely considered as a key memory modulator in both sexes. Indeed, although considerable evidence supports a crucial role for oestradiol in regulating learning and memory in females, a growing body of literature indicates a similar role in males. This Review discusses the mechanisms of oestradiol signalling and provides an overview of the effects of oestradiol on spatial, object recognition, social and fear memories. Although the primary focus is on data collected in females, effects of oestradiol on memory in males will be discussed, as will sex differences in the molecular mechanisms that regulate oestrogenic modulation of memory, which may have important implications for the development of future cognitive therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa R Taxier
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kellie S Gross
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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27
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Martini M, Irvin JW, Lee CG, Lynch WJ, Rissman EF. Sex chromosome complement influences vulnerability to cocaine in mice. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104821. [PMID: 32721403 PMCID: PMC7541729 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Women acquire cocaine habits faster and are more motivated to obtain drug than men. In general, female rodents acquire intravenous cocaine self-administration (SA) faster and show greater locomotor responses to cocaine than males. Sex differences are attributed to differences in circulating estradiol. We used the four core genotype (FCG) mouse to ask whether sex chromosome complement influences vulnerability to cocaine's reinforcing and/or locomotor-activating effects. The FCG cross produces ovary-bearing mice with XX or XY genotypes (XXF, XYF) and testes-bearing mice with XX or XY genotypes (XXM, XYM). A greater percentage of gonadal females acquired cocaine SA via infusions into jugular catheters as compared with XYM mice, but XXM mice were not significantly different than any other group. Discrimination of the active versus inactive nose poke holes and cocaine intake were in general greater in gonadal females than in gonadal males. Progressive ratio tests for motivation revealed an interaction between sex chromosomes and gonads: XYM mice were more motivated to self-administer cocaine taking more infusions than mice in any other group. Locomotor responses to cocaine exposure revealed effects of sex chromosomes. After acute exposure, activity was greater in XX than in XY mice and the reverse was true for behavioral sensitization. Mice with XY genotypes displayed more activity than XX mice when given cocaine after a 10-day drug-free period. Our data demonstrate that sex chromosome complement alone and/or interacting with gonadal status can modify cocaine's reinforcing and locomotor-activating effects. These data should inform current studies of sex differences in drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Martini
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Joshua W Irvin
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Christina G Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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28
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Barbosa-Méndez S, Osorio-Santiago KL, Salazar-Juárez A. Mirtazapine reduces the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in male and female Wistar rats. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104817. [PMID: 32682854 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have described that women are more vulnerable to the reinforcing effects of cocaine. In animals, the findings are similar: female rats show higher levels of cocaine self-administration and increased cocaine-induced locomotor activity. In contrast, women with depression respond better to treatment with antidepressants, however their therapeutic response to tetracyclic antidepressants is lower. Several studies have shown that mirtazapine-a tetracyclic antidepressant-decreases the behavioral effects of cocaine in male rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of daily dosing of mirtazapine on cocaine-induced locomotor activity and sensitization in naive female rats compared to male rats. METHODS Male and female Wistar rats were daily dosed with 10 mg/kg of cocaine. During extinction, cocaine was withdrawn and the groups received daily mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Tamoxifen was administered during the antagonism phase. After each administration, locomotor activity for each animal was recorded for 30 min in transparent Plexiglass activity chambers. RESULTS In this study, a higher cocaine locomotor response was found in females than in males and the mirtazapine was equally effective in decreasing cocaine-induced locomotor activity and the expression of locomotor sensitization in male and female rats. In addition, co-administration of mirtazapine and tamoxifen enhanced the efficacy of mirtazapine in female rats. CONCLUSION The results suggest that mirtazapine may be considered an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of cocaine use disorder in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Barbosa-Méndez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico
| | - Katya Lorena Osorio-Santiago
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico
| | - Alberto Salazar-Juárez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico.
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29
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Gross KS, Mermelstein PG. Estrogen receptor signaling through metabotropic glutamate receptors. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2020; 114:211-232. [PMID: 32723544 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As the non-nuclear initiated effects of steroid hormone signaling have become more widely accepted, there has been a need to define the novel mechanisms of hormone receptor action that account for these outcomes. One mechanism that has emerged is the coupling of classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) with metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) to initiate G protein signaling cascades that ultimately influence neuronal physiology, structure, and behavior. Since its initial discovery in hippocampal neurons, evidence of ER/mGluR associations have been found throughout the nervous system, and the heterogeneity of possible receptor pairings afforded by multiple ER and mGluR subtypes appears to drive diverse molecular outcomes that can impact processes like cognition, motivation, movement, and pain. Recent evidence also suggests that the role of mGluRs in steroid hormone signaling may not be unique to ERs, but rather a conserved mechanism of membrane-initiated hormone receptor action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie S Gross
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
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30
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Proaño SB, Meitzen J. Estradiol decreases medium spiny neuron excitability in female rat nucleus accumbens core. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:2465-2475. [PMID: 32432511 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00210.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The menstrual cycle in humans and its analogous cycle in rodents, the estrous cycle, modulate brain function and behavior. Both cycles are characterized by the cyclical fluctuation of ovarian hormones including estrogens such as estradiol. Estradiol induces cycle- and sex-dependent differences in the phenotype and incidence of many behaviors, including those related to reward and motivation. The nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), a limbic and premotor system nexus region, directly regulates these behaviors. We previously showed that the estrous cycle modulates intrinsic excitability and excitatory synapse properties of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the AcbC. The identity of the underlying hormone mechanism is unknown, with estradiol being a prime candidate. The present study tests the hypothesis that estradiol induces estrous cycle-relevant differences in MSN electrophysiology. To accomplish this goal, a time- and dose-dependent estradiol replacement paradigm designed to simulate the rise of circulating estradiol levels across the estrous cycle was employed in ovariectomized adult female rats as well as a vehicle control group. Estradiol replacement decreased MSN excitability by modulating properties such as resting membrane potential, input resistance in both the linear and rectified ranges, and rheobase compared with vehicle-treated females. These differences in MSN excitability mimic those previously described regarding estrous cycle effects on MSN electrophysiology. Excitatory synapse properties were not modulated in response to this estradiol replacement paradigm. These data are the first to demonstrate that an estrous cycle-relevant estradiol exposure modulates MSN electrophysiology, providing evidence of the fundamental neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating the AcbC.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study shows, for the first time, that an estrous cycle-relevant estradiol exposure modulates nucleus accumbens neuron excitability. This evidence provides insight into the neuroendocrine mechanisms by which estradiol cyclically alters neuron properties during the estrous cycle. Overall, these data emphasize the significant influence of hormone action in the brain and especially individual neuron physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B Proaño
- Graduate Program in Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - John Meitzen
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
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31
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Goenaga J, Powell GL, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Piña J, Phan S, Prakapenka AV, Koebele SV, Namba MD, McClure EA, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Gipson CD. N-acetylcysteine yields sex-specific efficacy for cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12711. [PMID: 30734439 PMCID: PMC6685767 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Women report greater craving during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. As well, research indicates that pharmacotherapies for smoking may be less efficacious in women compared with men, which may be due to interactions with natural fluctuations in ovarian hormone levels. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a glutamatergic compound that has shown some efficacy in treating substance use disorders and aids in the prevention of relapse. However, it is unclear whether NAC has sex-specific effectiveness for nicotine relapse treatment. Given that NAC has shown promise to reduce nicotine reinstatement in preclinical models using male rats, the exploration of potential sex differences in the efficacy of NAC is warranted. Using a rat model, we first investigated the ability of NAC treatment (100 mg/kg, ip) during nicotine withdrawal with extinction training to reduce cue-induced nicotine seeking in male and female rats. Next, we assessed whether NAC's effects were estrous cycle-dependent for female rats. Results show that following NAC treatment during extinction, reinstatement of nicotine seeking was significantly decreased in males but not females, indicating a sex-specific effect of NAC. Furthermore, for females, both vehicle- and NAC-treated groups significantly reinstated nicotine-seeking behavior compared with extinction, regardless of estrous cycle phase. These results suggest that NAC is inefficacious in reducing nicotine relapse in females regardless of estrous cycle phase at the dose evaluated here. These collective findings could have important clinical implications for use and efficacy of NAC as a pharmacotherapy for freely cycling women smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jose Piña
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Sandy Phan
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Alesia V. Prakapenka
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Stephanie V. Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Mark D. Namba
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Erin A. McClure
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ
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32
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Miller CK, Krentzel AA, Patisaul HB, Meitzen J. Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu 5) is necessary for estradiol mitigation of light-induced anxiety behavior in female rats. Physiol Behav 2019; 214:112770. [PMID: 31830486 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety-related behaviors are influenced by steroid hormones such as 17β-estradiol and environmental stimuli such as acute stressors. For example, rats exhibit increased anxiety-related behaviors in the presence, but not the absence, of light. In females, estradiol potentially mitigates these effects. Experiments across behavioral paradigms and brain regions indicate that estradiol action can be mediated via activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors, including Group I subtype five (mGlu5). mGlu5 has been implicated in mediating estradiol's effects upon psychostimulant-induced behaviors, dopamine release and neuron phenotype in striatal regions. Whether estradiol activation of mGlu5 modulates anxiety or locomotor behavior in the absence of psychostimulants is unknown. Here we test if mGlu5 is necessary for estradiol mitigation of light-induced acute anxiety and locomotor behaviors. Ovariectomized adult female rats were pre-treated with either the mGlu5 antagonist MPEP or saline before estradiol or oil treatment. Anxiety and locomotor behaviors were assessed in the presence or absence of white light to induce high and low acute anxiety behavior phenotypes, respectively. In the presence of white light, estradiol treatment mitigated light-induced anxiety-related behaviors but not overall locomotor activity. MPEP treatment blocked estradiol effects upon light-induced anxiety-related behaviors but did not affect overall locomotor activity. In the absence of white light, estradiol or MPEP treatment did not influence anxiety-related behaviors or locomotor activity, consistent with a low anxiety phenotype. These novel findings indicate that mGlu5 activation is necessary for estradiol mitigation of anxiety-related behaviors induced by an acute stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana K Miller
- Graduate Program in Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Amanda A Krentzel
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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33
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Bakhti-Suroosh A, Nesil T, Lynch WJ. Tamoxifen Blocks the Development of Motivational Features of an Addiction-Like Phenotype in Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:253. [PMID: 31780909 PMCID: PMC6856674 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Women become addicted sooner after initiating cocaine use as compared to men. Preclinical studies reveal a similar vulnerability in females, with findings from ovariectomized rats suggesting that estradiol mediates the enhanced vulnerability. However, since ovariectomy depletes not only estradiol, but all ovarian hormones, its role in a physiological context is not clear. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine the role of estradiol in the development of an addiction-like phenotype in ovary-intact females treated chronically with the selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator tamoxifen. We hypothesized that tamoxifen, by antagonizing ERs, would block the development of an addiction-like phenotype as defined by an enhanced motivation for cocaine (assessed under a progressive-ratio schedule), and a heightened vulnerability to relapse (assessed under an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure). Effects were examined following extended access cocaine self-administration (24-h/day; 4-discrete trials/h; 1.5 mg/kg/infusion) and 14-days of abstinence, conditions optimized for inducing an addiction-like phenotype. As predicted, motivation for cocaine was increased following extended-access self-administration and protracted abstinence in the vehicle (sesame oil) and no-injection control groups, but not in the tamoxifen group indicating that ER signaling is critical for the development of this feature of an addiction-like phenotype. Surprisingly, the increase in motivation for cocaine following abstinence was also attenuated in the vehicle group as compared to no-injection controls suggesting that oil/injections also affected its development. Contrary to our hypothesis, tamoxifen did not decrease vulnerability to relapse as this group responded at similar levels during initial extinction sessions and cue-induced reinstatement testing as compared to controls. Tamoxifen did, however, impair extinction learning as this group took longer to extinguish as compared to controls. Taken together, these findings indicate that estradiol is critical for the extinction of drug-associated cues and the development of motivational features of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Tanseli Nesil
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Park HM, Satta R, Davis RG, Goo YA, LeDuc RD, Fellers RT, Greer JB, Romanova EV, Rubakhin SS, Tai R, Thomas PM, Sweedler JV, Kelleher NL, Patrie SM, Lasek AW. Multidimensional Top-Down Proteomics of Brain-Region-Specific Mouse Brain Proteoforms Responsive to Cocaine and Estradiol. J Proteome Res 2019; 18:3999-4012. [PMID: 31550894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction afflicts nearly 1 million adults in the United States, and to date, there are no known treatments approved for this psychiatric condition. Women are particularly vulnerable to developing a cocaine use disorder and suffer from more serious cardiac consequences than men when using cocaine. Estrogen is one biological factor contributing to the increased risk for females to develop problematic cocaine use. Animal studies have demonstrated that estrogen (17β-estradiol or E2) enhances the rewarding properties of cocaine. Although E2 affects the dopamine system, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of E2-enhanced cocaine reward have not been characterized. In this study, quantitative top-down proteomics was used to measure intact proteins in specific regions of the female mouse brain after mice were trained for cocaine-conditioned place preference, a behavioral test of cocaine reward. Several proteoform changes occurred in the ventral tegmental area after combined cocaine and E2 treatments, with the most numerous proteoform alterations on myelin basic protein, indicating possible changes in white matter structure. There were also changes in histone H4, protein phosphatase inhibitors, cholecystokinin, and calmodulin proteoforms. These observations provide insight into estrogen signaling in the brain and may guide new approaches to treating women with cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Min Park
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Rosalba Satta
- Department of Psychiatry , University of Illinois at Chicago , 1601 West Taylor Street , Chicago , Illinois 60612 , United States
| | - Roderick G Davis
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Richard D LeDuc
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Ryan T Fellers
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Joseph B Greer
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Elena V Romanova
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Stanislav S Rubakhin
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Rex Tai
- Department of Psychiatry , University of Illinois at Chicago , 1601 West Taylor Street , Chicago , Illinois 60612 , United States
| | - Paul M Thomas
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Jonathan V Sweedler
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Steven M Patrie
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and The Proteomics Center of Excellence , Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Amy W Lasek
- Department of Psychiatry , University of Illinois at Chicago , 1601 West Taylor Street , Chicago , Illinois 60612 , United States
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35
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Kasten CR, Holmgren EB, Wills TA. Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 in Alcohol-Induced Negative Affect. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E183. [PMID: 31366097 PMCID: PMC6721373 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9080183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors (mGlu5 receptors) have been identified as a promising treatment to independently alleviate both negative affective states and ethanol-seeking and intake. However, these conditions are often comorbid and might precipitate one another. Acute and protracted ethanol withdrawal can lead to negative affective states. In turn, these states are primary drivers of alcohol relapse, particularly among women. The current review synthesizes preclinical studies that have observed the role of mGlu5 receptor modulation in negative affective states following ethanol exposure. The primary behavioral assays discussed are ethanol-seeking and intake, development and extinction of ethanol-associated cues and contexts, behavioral despair, and anxiety-like activity. The work done to-date supports mGlu5 receptor modulation as a promising target for mediating negative affective states to reduce ethanol intake or prevent relapse. Limitations in interpreting these data include the lack of models that use alcohol-dependent animals, limited use of adolescent and female subjects, and a lack of comprehensive evaluations of negative affective-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea R Kasten
- LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Education Building, 1901 Perdido Street, Room 6103, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Eleanor B Holmgren
- LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Education Building, 1901 Perdido Street, Room 6103, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Tiffany A Wills
- LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Education Building, 1901 Perdido Street, Room 6103, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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36
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Willett JA, Cao J, Johnson A, Patel OH, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. The estrous cycle modulates rat caudate-putamen medium spiny neuron physiology. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 52:2737-2755. [PMID: 31278786 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine environment in which the brain operates is both dynamic and differs by sex. How differences in neuroendocrine state affect neuron properties has been significantly neglected in neuroscience research. Behavioral data across humans and rodents indicate that natural cyclical changes in steroid sex hormone production affect sensorimotor and cognitive behaviors in both normal and pathological contexts. These behaviors are critically mediated by the caudate-putamen. In the caudate-putamen, medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the predominant and primary output neurons. MSNs express membrane-associated estrogen receptors and demonstrate estrogen sensitivity. However, how the cyclical hormone changes across the estrous cycle may modulate caudate-putamen MSN electrophysiological properties remains unknown. Here, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on male, diestrus female, proestrus female, and estrus female caudate-putamen MSNs. Action potential, passive membrane, and miniature excitatory post-synaptic current properties were assessed. Numerous MSN electrical properties robustly differed by cycle state, including resting membrane potential, rheobase, action potential threshold, maximum evoked action potential firing rate, and inward rectification. Strikingly, when considered independent of estrous cycle phase, all but one of these properties do not significantly differ from male MSNs. These data indicate that female caudate-putamen MSNs are sensitive to the estrous cycle, and more broadly, the importance of considering neuroendocrine state in studies of neuron physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Willett
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Graduate Program in Physiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Grass Laboratory, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Ashlyn Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Opal H Patel
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David M Dorris
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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37
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Estradiol-Induced Potentiation of Dopamine Release in Dorsal Striatum Following Amphetamine Administration Requires Estradiol Receptors and mGlu5. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NWR-0446-18. [PMID: 30766916 PMCID: PMC6374122 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0446-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol potentiates behavioral sensitization to cocaine as well as self-administration of cocaine and other drugs of abuse in female rodents. Furthermore, stimulated dopamine (DA) in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is rapidly enhanced by estradiol, and it is hypothesized that this enhanced DA release mediates the more rapid escalation of drug taking seen in females, compared with males. The mechanisms mediating the effect of estradiol to enhance stimulated DA release were investigated in this study. Using in vivo microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection, we first examined the effect of estradiol on amphetamine-induced DA increase in the DLS of ovariectomized rats. We then tested whether the potentiation of this DA increase could be blocked by the estradiol receptor antagonist, ICI 182,780 (ICI), or an antagonist to the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5), 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP). There is evidence that estradiol receptors collaborate with mGlu5 within caveoli in DLS and mGlu5 is hypothesized to mediate many of the effects of estradiol in the addiction processes in females. Our data show that estradiol enhances the DA response to amphetamine. Either ICI or MPEP prevented the effect of estradiol to enhance DA release. Importantly, our results also showed that neither ICI or MPEP alone is able to influence the DA response to amphetamine when estradiol is not administrated, suggesting that ICI and MPEP act via estradiol receptors. Together, our findings demonstrate that estradiol potentiates amphetamine-stimulated DA release in the DLS and this effect requires both estradiol receptors and mGlu5.
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38
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Meitzen J, Britson KA, Tuomela K, Mermelstein PG. The expression of select genes necessary for membrane-associated estrogen receptor signaling differ by sex in adult rat hippocampus. Steroids 2019; 142:21-27. [PMID: 28962849 PMCID: PMC5874170 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
17β-estradiol can rapidly modulate neuron function via membrane estrogen receptors (ERs) in a sex-specific manner. For example, female rat hippocampal neurons express palmitoylated versions of ERα and ERβ that associate with the plasma membrane. These membrane-associated ERs are organized by caveolin proteins into functional signaling microdomains with metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). ER/mGluR signaling mediates several sex-specific estradiol actions on hippocampal neuron function. An important unanswered question regards the mechanism by which sex-specific membrane-associated ER signaling is generated, especially since it has been previously demonstrated that mGluR action is not sex-specific. One possibility is that the genes necessary for the ER membrane complex are differentially expressed between males and females, including genes that encode ERα and β, caveolin 1 and 3, and/or the palmitoylacyltransferases DHHC-7 and -21. Thus we used qPCR to test the hypothesis that these genes show sex differences in expression in neonatal and adult rat hippocampus. As an additional control we tested the expression of the 20 other DHHC palmitoylacyltransferases with no known connections to ER. In neonatal hippocampus, no sex differences were detected in gene expression. In adult hippocampus, the genes that encode caveolin 1 and DHHC-7 showed decreased expression in females compared to males. Thus, select genes differ by sex at specific developmental stages, arguing for a more nuanced model than simple widespread perinatal emergence of sex differences in all genes enabling sex-specific estradiol action. These findings enable the generation of new hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which sex differences in membrane-associated ER signaling are programmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Meitzen
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States; W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States; Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.
| | - Kyla A Britson
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Krista Tuomela
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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39
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Santollo J, Daniels D. Anorexigenic effects of estradiol in the medial preoptic area occur through membrane-associated estrogen receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Horm Behav 2019; 107:20-25. [PMID: 30462987 PMCID: PMC6348004 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Activation of membrane-associated estrogen receptors (mER) decreases food and water intake in female rats. Additional studies suggest these effects are mediated, at least in part, by membrane-associated estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). Nevertheless, the critical site of action and the intracellular signaling required for the ingestive effects of ERα remain unclear. Estradiol given to the medial preoptic area (mPOA) decreases ingestive behaviors, and membrane-associated ERα has been shown to affect intracellular signaling through interactions with metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtypes, but an involvement of this signaling pathway, in the mPOA, in ingestive behavior remains untested. To address these open questions, we first showed that activation of mER in the mPOA decreased both overnight food and water intake, and did so in a time course consistent with a genomic mechanism of action. Next, we tested the requirement of mGluR1a signaling in the mPOA for the anorexigenic and anti-dipsogenic effects of estradiol. As expected, estradiol in the mPOA decreased food intake, but only in the absence of an mGluR1a antagonist. The same was not true for estradiol effects on water intake, which were unaffected by an mGluR1a antagonist. These results suggest that estrogens require mGluR activation for at least some of their effects on ingestive behaviors, and indicate that the mPOA is a critical site of action. The results also reveal an interesting divergence in the estrogenic control of ingestive behavior by which mGluR signaling in the mPOA plays a role in the control of food intake, but not water intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Santollo
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.
| | - Derek Daniels
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
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40
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Krentzel AA, Meitzen J. Biological Sex, Estradiol and Striatal Medium Spiny Neuron Physiology: A Mini-Review. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:492. [PMID: 30618639 PMCID: PMC6299026 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens core and shell are important striatal brain regions for premotor, limbic, habit formation, reward, and other critical cognitive functions. Striatal-relevant behaviors such as anxiety, motor coordination, locomotion, and sensitivity to reward, all change with fluctuations of the menstrual cycle in humans and the estrous cycle in rodents. These fluctuations implicate sex steroid hormones, such as 17β-estradiol, as potent neuromodulatory signals for striatal neuron activity. The medium spiny neuron (MSN), the primary neuron subtype of the striatal regions, expresses membrane estrogen receptors and exhibits sex differences both in intrinsic and synaptic electrophysiological properties. In this mini-review, we first describe sex differences in the electrophysiological properties of the MSNs in prepubertal rats. We then discuss specific examples of how the human menstrual and rat estrous cycles induce differences in striatal-relevant behaviors and neural substrate, including how female rat MSN electrophysiology is influenced by the estrous cycle. We then conclude the mini-review by discussing avenues for future investigation, including possible roles of striatal-localized membrane estrogen receptors and estradiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda A Krentzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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41
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Gross KS, Moore KM, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. mGluR5 Mediates Dihydrotestosterone-Induced Nucleus Accumbens Structural Plasticity, but Not Conditioned Reward. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:855. [PMID: 30515075 PMCID: PMC6255826 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadal hormones play a vital role in driving motivated behavior. They not only modulate responses to naturally rewarding stimuli, but also influence responses to drugs of abuse. A commonality between gonadal hormones and drugs of abuse is that they both impact the neurocircuitry of reward, including the regulation of structural plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Previous hormonal studies have focused on the mechanisms and behavioral correlates of estradiol-induced dendritic spine changes in the female NAc. Here we sought to determine the effects of androgens on medium spiny neuron (MSN) spine plasticity in the male NAc. Following treatment with the androgen receptor agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT), MSNs in castrated male rats exhibited a significant decrease in dendritic spine density. This effect was isolated to the shell subregion of the NAc. The effect of DHT was dependent on mGluR5 activity, and local mGluR5 activation and subsequent endocannabinoid signaling produce an analogous NAc shell spine decrease. Somewhat surprisingly, DHT-induced conditioned place preference remained intact following systemic inhibition of mGluR5. These findings indicate that androgens can utilize mGluR signaling, similar to estrogens, to mediate changes in NAc dendritic structure. In addition, there are notable differences in the direction of spine changes, and site specificity of estrogen and androgen action, suggesting sex differences in the hormonal regulation of motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie S Gross
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Kelsey M Moore
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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42
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Abruzzese GA, Crisosto N, De Grava Kempinas W, Sotomayor-Zárate R. Developmental programming of the female neuroendocrine system by steroids. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12632. [PMID: 29968423 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Developmental programming refers to processes that occur during early life that may have long-term consequences, modulating adult health and disease. Complex diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, have a high prevalence in different populations, are multifactorial, and may have a strong environmental component. The environment interacts with organisms, affecting their behaviour, morphology and physiology. This interaction may induce permanent or long-term changes, and organisms may be more susceptible to environmental factors during certain developmental stages, such as the prenatal and early postnatal periods. Several factors have been identified as responsible for inducing the reprogramming of various reproductive and nonreproductive tissues. Among them, both natural and synthetic steroids, such as endocrine disruptors, are known to have either detrimental or positive effects on organisms depending on the dose of exposure, stage of development and biological sexual background. The present review focuses on the action of steroids and endocrine disruptors as agents involved in developmental programming and on their modulation and effects on female neuroendocrine functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Adriana Abruzzese
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Crisosto
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Endocrinology Unit, Clínica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wilma De Grava Kempinas
- Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Biology and Toxicology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ramón Sotomayor-Zárate
- Laboratorio de Neuroquímica y Neurofarmacología, Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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43
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Estrogen Regulation of GRK2 Inactivates Kappa Opioid Receptor Signaling Mediating Analgesia, But Not Aversion. J Neurosci 2018; 38:8031-8043. [PMID: 30076211 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0653-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of κ opioid receptors (KORs) produces analgesia and aversion via distinct intracellular signaling pathways, but whether G protein-biased KOR agonists can be designed to have clinical utility will depend on a better understanding of the signaling mechanisms involved. We found that KOR activation produced conditioned place aversion and potentiated CPP for cocaine in male and female C57BL/6N mice. Consistent with this, males and females both showed arrestin-mediated increases in phospho-p38 MAPK following KOR activation. Unlike in males, however, KOR activation had inconsistent analgesic effects in females and KOR increased Gβγ-mediated ERK phosphorylation in males, but not females. KOR desensitization was not responsible for the lack of response in females because neither Grk3 nor Pdyn gene knock-out enhanced analgesia. Instead, responsiveness was estrous cycle dependent because KOR analgesia was evident during low estrogen phases of the cycle and in ovariectomized (OVX) females. Estradiol treatment of OVX females suppressed KOR-mediated analgesia, demonstrating that estradiol was sufficient to blunt Gβγ-mediated KOR signals. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is known to regulate ERK activation, and we found that the inhibitory, phosphorylated form of GRK2 was significantly higher in intact females. GRK2/3 inhibition by CMPD101 increased KOR stimulation of phospho-ERK in females, decreased sex differences in KOR-mediated inhibition of dopamine release, and enhanced mu opioid receptor and KOR-mediated analgesia in females. In OVX females, estradiol increased the association between GRK2 and Gβγ. These studies suggest that estradiol, through increased phosphorylation of GRK2 and possible sequestration of Gβγ by GRK2, blunts G protein-mediated signals.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Chronic pain disorders are more prevalent in females than males, but opioid receptor agonists show inconsistent analgesic efficacy in females. κ opioid receptor (KOR) agonists have been tested in clinical trials for treating pain disorders based on their analgesic properties and low addictive potential. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in KOR actions were previously unknown. Our studies identify an intracellular mechanism involving estradiol regulation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 that is responsible for sexually dimorphic analgesic responses following opioid receptor activation. Understanding this mechanism will be critical for developing effective nonaddictive opioid analgesics for use in women and characterizing sexually dimorphic effects in other inhibitory G protein-coupled receptor signaling responses.
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44
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Tonn Eisinger KR, Gross KS, Head BP, Mermelstein PG. Interactions between estrogen receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors and their impact on drug addiction in females. Horm Behav 2018; 104:130-137. [PMID: 29505763 PMCID: PMC6131090 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Estrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ) have a unique relationship with metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the female rodent brain such that estradiol is able to recruit intracellular G-protein signaling cascades to influence neuronal physiology, structure, and ultimately behavior. While this association between ERs and mGluRs exists in many cell types and brain regions, its effects are perhaps most striking in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This review will discuss the original characterization of ER/mGluR signaling and how estradiol activity in the NAc confers increased sensitivity to drugs of abuse in females through this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Tonn Eisinger
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kellie S Gross
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Brian P Head
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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45
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Caprioli D, Justinova Z, Venniro M, Shaham Y. Effect of Novel Allosteric Modulators of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors on Drug Self-administration and Relapse: A Review of Preclinical Studies and Their Clinical Implications. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:180-192. [PMID: 29102027 PMCID: PMC5837933 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Results from preclinical rodent studies during the last 20 years implicated glutamate neurotransmission in different brain regions in drug self-administration and rodent models of relapse. These results, along with evidence for drug-induced neuroadaptations in glutamatergic neurons and receptors, suggested that addiction might be treatable by medications that inhibit glutamatergic responses to drugs of abuse, drug-associated cues, and stressors. This idea is supported by findings in rodent and primate models that drug self-administration and relapse are reduced by systemic injections of antagonists of ionotropic glutamate receptors or metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) or orthosteric agonists of mGluR2/3. However, these compounds have not advanced to clinical use because of potential side effects and other factors. This state of affairs has led to the development of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) and negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of mGluRs. PAMs and NAMs of mGluRs, either of which can inhibit evoked glutamate release, may be suitable for testing in humans. We reviewed results from recent studies of systemically injected PAMs and NAMs of mGluRs in rodents and monkeys, focusing on whether they reduce drug self-administration, reinstatement of drug seeking, and incubation of drug craving. We also review results from rat studies in which PAMs or NAMs of mGluRs were injected intracranially to reduce drug self-administration and reinstatement. We conclude that PAMs and NAMs of mGluRs should be considered for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Caprioli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Zuzana Justinova
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marco Venniro
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
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46
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Rivera HM, Stincic TL. Estradiol and the control of feeding behavior. Steroids 2018; 133:44-52. [PMID: 29180290 PMCID: PMC5864536 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This review lays out the evidence for the role of E2 in homeostatic and hedonic feeding across several species. While significant effort has been expended on homeostatic feeding research, more studies for hedonic feeding need to be conducted (i.e. are there increases in meal size and enhanced motivation to natural food rewards). By identifying the underlying neural circuitry involved, one can better delineate the mechanisms by which E2 influences feeding behavior. By utilizing more selective neural targeting techniques, such as optogenetics, significant progress can be made toward this goal. Together, behavioral and physiological techniques will help us to better understand neural deficits that can increase the risk for obesity in the absence of E2 (menopause) and aid in developing therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Rivera
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - T L Stincic
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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47
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Tonn Eisinger KR, Larson EB, Boulware MI, Thomas MJ, Mermelstein PG. Membrane estrogen receptor signaling impacts the reward circuitry of the female brain to influence motivated behaviors. Steroids 2018; 133:53-59. [PMID: 29195840 PMCID: PMC5864533 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Within the adult female, estrogen signaling is well-described as an integral component of the physiologically significant hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In rodents, the timing of ovulation is intrinsically entwined with the display of sexual receptivity. For decades, the importance of estradiol activating intracellular estrogen receptors within the hypothalamus and midbrain/spinal cord lordosis circuits has been appreciated. These signaling pathways primarily account for the ability of the female to reproduce. Yet, often overlooked is that the desire to reproduce is also tightly regulated by estrogen receptor signaling. This lack of emphasis can be attributed to an absence of nuclear estrogen receptors in brain regions associated with reward, such as the nucleus accumbens, which are associated with motivated behaviors. This review outlines how membrane-localized estrogen receptors affect metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling within the rodent nucleus accumbens. In addition, we discuss how, as estrogens drive increased motivation for reproduction, they also produce the untoward side effect of heightening female vulnerability to drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Tonn Eisinger
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Erin B Larson
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Marissa I Boulware
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Meitzen J, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. Sex Differences and the Effects of Estradiol on Striatal Function. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 23:42-48. [PMID: 30221186 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The striatal brain regions, including the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens core, and nucleus accumbens shell, mediate critical behavioral functions. These functions include but are not limited to motivated behavior, reward, learning, and sensorimotor function in both pathological and normal contexts. The phenotype and/or incidence of all of these behaviors either differ by sex or are sensitive to the presence of gonadal hormones such as 17β-estradiol and testosterone. All three striatal brain regions express membrane-associated estrogen receptors. Here we present a brief review of the recent literature reporting on sex differences and effects of the estrogenic hormone 17β-estradiol on behavioral and neural function across all three striatal regions, focusing upon the most prominent striatal neuron type, the medium spiny neuron. We emphasize recent findings in three broad domains: (1) select striatal-relevant behaviors and disorders, (2) striatal medium spiny neuron dendritic spine density, and (3), striatal medium spiny neuron electrophysiological properties including excitatory synaptic input and intrinsic cellular excitability. These recent advances in behavior, neuroanatomy, and electrophysiology collectively offer insight into the effects of sex and estrogen on striatal function, especially at the level of individual neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Meitzen
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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Bechard AR, Hamor PU, Schwendt M, Knackstedt LA. The effects of ceftriaxone on cue-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in male and female rats: estrous cycle effects on behavior and protein expression in the nucleus accumbens. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:837-848. [PMID: 29197981 PMCID: PMC5893281 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4802-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Effective pharmacological treatments to prevent cocaine relapse remain elusive. In male rats, ceftriaxone attenuates the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking while increasing glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and xCT expression in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). Despite reported sex differences in cocaine relapse, these effects have not yet been confirmed in female rats. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effects of ceftriaxone on cue-primed reinstatement and cocaine-induced alterations in glutamatergic proteins in the NAc of female rats. Potential interactions between estrous phase and treatment were also assessed. METHOD Male and female rats self-administered cocaine in the presence of discrete cues for 12 days, followed by 2-3 weeks of extinction. Ceftriaxone or vehicle was administered daily for a minimum of 6 days immediately preceding a cue-primed reinstatement test. RESULTS Total cocaine intake was greater in females than in males, but reinstatement behavior was similar. Ceftriaxone attenuated reinstatement in both sexes and was accompanied by increased expression of GLT-1a and xCT in the NAc. However, ceftriaxone attenuated reinstatement only when females were tested during met-, di-, and proestrus phases and not during estrus. A significant increase in AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 surface expression was also observed during estrus, potentially influencing reinstatement. CONCLUSION These findings extend the beneficial effects of ceftriaxone on persistent cocaine-seeking from males to females, increasing its potential as a pharmacological treatment for preventing relapse. The effects of estrus on GluA1 expression and reinstatement observed here indicate that females may need additional interventions during some phases of the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R. Bechard
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Peter U. Hamor
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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50
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Cao J, Willett JA, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. Sex Differences in Medium Spiny Neuron Excitability and Glutamatergic Synaptic Input: Heterogeneity Across Striatal Regions and Evidence for Estradiol-Dependent Sexual Differentiation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:173. [PMID: 29720962 PMCID: PMC5915472 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid sex hormones and biological sex influence how the brain regulates motivated behavior, reward, and sensorimotor function in both normal and pathological contexts. Investigations into the underlying neural mechanisms have targeted the striatal brain regions, including the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), and shell. These brain regions are of particular interest to neuroendocrinologists given that they express membrane-associated but not nuclear estrogen receptors, and also the well-established role of the sex steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (estradiol) in modulating striatal dopamine systems. Indeed, output neurons of the striatum, the medium spiny neurons (MSNs), exhibit estradiol sensitivity and sex differences in electrophysiological properties. Here, we review sex differences in rat MSN glutamatergic synaptic input and intrinsic excitability across striatal regions, including evidence for estradiol-mediated sexual differentiation in the nucleus AcbC. In prepubertal animals, female MSNs in the caudate-putamen exhibit a greater intrinsic excitability relative to male MSNs, but no sex differences are detected in excitatory synaptic input. Alternatively, female MSNs in the nucleus AcbC exhibit increased excitatory synaptic input relative to male MSNs, but no sex differences in intrinsic excitability were detected. Increased excitatory synaptic input onto female MSNs in the nucleus AcbC is abolished after masculinizing estradiol or testosterone exposure during the neonatal critical period. No sex differences are detected in MSNs in prepubertal nucleus accumbens shell. Thus, despite possessing the same neuron type, striatal regions exhibit heterogeneity in sex differences in MSN electrophysiological properties, which likely contribute to the sex differences observed in striatal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Jaime A. Willett
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Graduate Program in Physiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - David M. Dorris
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: John Meitzen,
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