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Chen X, Liu X, Luan S, Wang X, Zhang Y, Hao Y, Zhang Q, Zhang J, Zhao H. Optogenetic activation of the lateral habenula D1R-ventral tegmental area circuit induces depression-like behavior in mice. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 274:867-878. [PMID: 38236282 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01743-2] [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: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
A number of different receptors are distributed in glutamatergic neurons of the lateral habenula (LHb). These glutamatergic neurons are involved in different neural pathways, which may identify how the LHb regulates various physiological functions. However, the role of dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing habenular neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (LHbD1R-VTA) remains not well understood. In the current study, to determine the activity of D1R-expressing neurons in LHb, D1R-Cre mice were used to establish the chronic restraint stress (CRS) depression model. Adeno-associated virus was injected into bilateral LHb in D1R-Cre mice to examine whether optogenetic activation of the LHb D1R-expressing neurons and their projections could induce depression-like behavior. Optical fibers were implanted in the LHb and VTA, respectively. To investigate whether optogenetic inhibition of the LHbD1R-VTA circuit could produce antidepressant-like effects, the adeno-associated virus was injected into the bilateral LHb in the D1R-Cre CRS model, and optical fibers were implanted in the bilateral VTA. The D1R-expressing neuronal activity in the LHb was increased in the CRS depression model. Optogenetic activation of the D1R-expressing neurons in LHb induced behavioral despair and anhedonia, which could also be induced by activation of the LHbD1R-VTA axons. Conversely, optogenetic inhibition of the LHbD1R-VTA circuit improved behavioral despair and anhedonia in the CRS depression model. D1R-expressing glutamatergic neurons in the LHb and their projections to the VTA are involved in the occurrence and regulation of depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Chen
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 126, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuxin Luan
- Department of Mental Health, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuxin Wang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 126, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulei Hao
- Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 126, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaming Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Xinmin Street No. 126, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China.
- Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China.
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Brown PL, Palacorolla H, Cobb-Lewis DE, Jhou TC, McMahon P, Bell D, Elmer GI, Shepard PD. Substantia Nigra Dopamine Neuronal Responses to Habenular Stimulation and Foot Shock Are Altered by Lesions of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus. Neuroscience 2024; 547:56-73. [PMID: 38636897 PMCID: PMC11144098 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area generally respond to aversive stimuli or the absence of expected rewards with transient inhibition of firing rates, which can be recapitulated with activation of the lateral habenula (LHb) and eliminated by lesioning the intermediating rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). However, a minority of DA neurons respond to aversive stimuli, such as foot shock, with a transient increase in firing rate, an outcome that rarely occurs with LHb stimulation. The degree to which individual neurons respond to these two stimulation modalities with the same response phenotype and the role of the RMTg is not known. Here, we record responses from single SN DA neurons to alternating activation of the LHb and foot shock in male rats. Lesions of the RMTg resulted in a shift away from inhibition to no response during both foot shock and LHb stimulation. Furthermore, lesions unmasked an excitatory response during LHb stimulation. The response correspondence within the same neuron between the two activation sources was no different from chance in sham controls, suggesting that external inputs rather than intrinsic DA neuronal properties are more important to response outcome. These findings contribute to a literature that shows a complex neurocircuitry underlies the regulation of DA activity and, by extension, behaviors related to learning, anhedonia, and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Leon Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA.
| | - Heather Palacorolla
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Dana E Cobb-Lewis
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 620 West Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Pat McMahon
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Dana Bell
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Greg I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Paul D Shepard
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
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Groos D, Helmchen F. The lateral habenula: A hub for value-guided behavior. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113968. [PMID: 38522071 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The habenula is an evolutionarily highly conserved diencephalic brain region divided into two major parts, medial and lateral. Over the past two decades, studies of the lateral habenula (LHb), in particular, have identified key functions in value-guided behavior in health and disease. In this review, we focus on recent insights into LHb connectivity and its functional relevance for different types of aversive and appetitive value-guided behavior. First, we give an overview of the anatomical organization of the LHb and its main cellular composition. Next, we elaborate on how distinct LHb neuronal subpopulations encode aversive and appetitive stimuli and on their involvement in more complex decision-making processes. Finally, we scrutinize the afferent and efferent connections of the LHb and discuss their functional implications for LHb-dependent behavior. A deepened understanding of distinct LHb circuit components will substantially contribute to our knowledge of value-guided behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Groos
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Schoukroun F, Befort K, Bourdy R. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus gates fat overconsumption through ventral tegmental area output in male rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01855-w. [PMID: 38570645 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01855-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Excessive consumption of palatable foods that are rich in fats and sugars has contributed to the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide. Similar to addictive drugs, such foods activate the brain's reward circuit, involving mesolimbic dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the prefrontal cortex. Neuroadaptations occurring in this circuit are hypothesized to contribute to uncontrolled consumption of such foods, a common feature of most of eating disorders and obesity. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), also named tail of the VTA (tVTA), is an inhibitory structure projecting to the VTA and the lateral hypothalamus (LH), two key brain regions in food intake regulation. Prior research has demonstrated that the RMTg responds to addictive drugs and influences their impact on mesolimbic activity and reward-related behaviors. However, the role of the RMTg in food intake regulation remains largely unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the RMTg and its projections to the VTA and the LH in regulating food intake in rats. To do so, we examined eating patterns of rats with either bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the RMTg or specific lesions of RMTg-VTA and RMTg-LH pathways. Rats were exposed to a 6-week 'free choice high-fat and high-sugar' diet, followed by a 4-week palatable food forced abstinence and a 24 h re-access period. Our results indicate that an RMTg-VTA pathway lesion increases fat consumption following 6 weeks of diet and at time of re-access. The RMTg-LH pathway lesion produces a milder effect with a decrease in global calorie intake. These findings suggest that the RMTg influences palatable food consumption and relapse through its projections to the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Schoukroun
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, UMR7364, CNRS, 12 Rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Katia Befort
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, UMR7364, CNRS, 12 Rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Romain Bourdy
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, UMR7364, CNRS, 12 Rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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Benedict J, Cudmore RH, Oden D, Spruell A, Linden DJ. The lateral habenula is required for maternal behavior in the mouse dam. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.12.577842. [PMID: 38405910 PMCID: PMC10888914 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.12.577842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian parenting is an unusually demanding commitment. How did evolution co-opt the reward system to ensure parental care? Previous work has implicated the lateral habenula (LHb), an epithalamic nucleus, as a potential intersection of parenting behavior and reward. Here, we examine the role of the LHb in the maternal behavior of naturally parturient mouse dams. We show that kainic acid lesions of the LHb induced a severe maternal neglect phenotype in dams towards their biological pups. Next, we demonstrate that through chronic chemogenetic inactivation of the LHb using DREADDs impaired acquisition and performance of various maternal behaviors, such as pup retrieval and nesting. We present a random intercepts model suggesting LHb-inactivation prevents the acquisition of the novel pup retrieval maternal behavior and decreases nest building performance, an already-established behavior, in primiparous mouse dams. Lastly, we examine the spatial histology of kainic-acid treated dams with a random intercepts model, which suggests that the role of LHb in maternal behavior may be preferentially localized at the posterior aspect of this structure. Together, these findings serve to establish the LHb as required for maternal behavior in the mouse dam, thereby complementing previous findings implicating the LHb in parental behavior using pup-sensitized virgin female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Benedict
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Robert H Cudmore
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California -Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Diarra Oden
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Aleah Spruell
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David J Linden
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Bell D, Waldron VJ, Brown PL. Quantitative and qualitative sex difference in habenula-induced inhibition of midbrain dopamine neurons in the rat. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1289407. [PMID: 38025387 PMCID: PMC10679542 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1289407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Clinically relevant sex differences have been noted in a number of affective, behavioral, cognitive, and neurological health disorders. Midbrain dopamine neurons are implicated in several of these same disorders and consequently are under investigation for their potential role in the manifestation of these sex differences. The lateral habenula exerts significant inhibitory control over dopamine neuronal firing, yet little is known about sex differences in this particular neurocircuit. Methods We performed in vivo, single unit, extracellular recordings of dopamine neurons in female and male anesthetized rats in response to single pulse stimulation of the lateral habenula. In addition, we assessed baseline firing properties of lateral habenula neurons and, by immunochemical means, assessed the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha cells in the lateral habenula. Results Habenula-induced inhibition of dopamine neuronal firing is reduced in female rats relative to male rats. In addition, male rats had a higher prevalence of rebound excitation. Furthermore, the firing pattern of lateral habenula neurons was less variable in female rats, and female rats had a higher density of estrogen receptor alpha positive cells in the lateral habenula. Discussion We found that the dopamine neuronal response to habenular stimulation is both qualitatively and quantitatively different in female and male rats. These novel findings together with reports in the contemporary literature lead us to posit that the sex difference in dopamine inhibition seen here relate to differential firing properties of lateral habenula neurons resulting from the presence of sex hormones. Further work is needed to test this hypothesis, which may have implications for understanding the etiology of several mental health disorders including depression, schizophrenia, and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - P. Leon Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Pereira AR, Alemi M, Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Dynamics of Lateral Habenula-Ventral Tegmental Area Microcircuit on Pain-Related Cognitive Dysfunctions. Neurol Int 2023; 15:1303-1319. [PMID: 37987455 PMCID: PMC10660716 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint15040082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a health problem that affects the ability to work and perform other activities, and it generally worsens over time. Understanding the complex pain interaction with brain circuits could help predict which patients are at risk of developing central dysfunctions. Increasing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests that aberrant activity of the lateral habenula (LHb) is associated with depressive symptoms characterized by excessive negative focus, leading to high-level cognitive dysfunctions. The primary output region of the LHb is the ventral tegmental area (VTA), through a bidirectional connection. Recently, there has been growing interest in the complex interactions between the LHb and VTA, particularly regarding their crucial roles in behavior regulation and their potential involvement in the pathological impact of chronic pain on cognitive functions. In this review, we briefly discuss the structural and functional roles of the LHb-VTA microcircuit and their impact on cognition and mood disorders in order to support future studies addressing brain plasticity during chronic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mobina Alemi
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Programa Doutoral em Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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Alemi M, Pereira AR, Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Role of Glutamatergic Projections from Lateral Habenula to Ventral Tegmental Area in Inflammatory Pain-Related Spatial Working Memory Deficits. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030820. [PMID: 36979799 PMCID: PMC10045719 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which form interconnected circuits, have important roles in the crucial control of sensory and cognitive motifs. Signaling in the LHb-VTA pathway can be exacerbated during pain conditions by a hyperactivity of LHb glutamatergic neurons to inhibit local VTA DAergic cells. However, it is still unclear whether and how this circuit is endogenously engaged in pain-related cognitive dysfunctions. To answer this question, we modulated this pathway by expressing halorhodopsin in LHb neurons of adult male rats, and then selectively inhibited the axonal projections from these neurons to the VTA during a working memory (WM) task. Behavioral performance was assessed after the onset of an inflammatory pain model. We evaluated the impact of the inflammatory pain in the VTA synapses by performing immunohistochemical characterization of specific markers for GABAergic (GAD65/67) and dopaminergic neurons (dopamine transporter (DAT), dopamine D2 receptor (D2r) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)). Our results revealed that inhibition of LHb terminals in the VTA during the WM delay-period elicits a partial recovery of the performance of pain animals (in higher complexity challenges); this performance was not accompanied by a reduction of nociceptive responses. Finally, we found evidence that the pain-affected animals exhibit VTA structural changes, namely with an upregulation of GAD65/67, and a downregulation of DAT and D2r. These results demonstrate a role of LHb neurons and highlight their responsibility in the stability of the local VTA network, which regulates signaling in frontal areas necessary to support WM processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mobina Alemi
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Programa Doutoral em Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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Campos ACP, Pople C, Silk E, Surendrakumar S, Rabelo TK, Meng Y, Gouveia FV, Lipsman N, Giacobbe P, Hamani C. Neurochemical mechanisms of deep brain stimulation for depression in animal models. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 68:11-26. [PMID: 36640729 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.12.003] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a neuromodulation therapy for treatment-resistant depression, but its actual efficacy and mechanisms of action are still unclear. Changes in neurochemical transmission are important mechanisms of antidepressant therapies. Here, we review the preclinical DBS literature reporting behavioural and neurochemical data associated with its antidepressant-like effects. The most commonly studied target in preclinical models was the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). In rodents, DBS delivered to this target induced serotonin (5-HT) release and increased 5-HT1B receptor expression. The antidepressant-like effects of vmPFC DBS seemed to be independent of the serotonin transporter and potentially mediated by the direct modulation of prefrontal projections to the raphe. Adenosinergic and glutamatergic transmission might have also play a role. Medial forebrain bundle (MFB) DBS increased dopamine levels and reduced D2 receptor expression, whereas nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and lateral habenula (LHb) stimulation increased catecholamine levels in different brain regions. In rodents, subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS induced robust depression-like responses associated with a reduction in serotonergic transmission, as revealed by a decrease in serotonin release. Some of these effects seemed to be mediated by 5HT1A receptors. In conclusion, the antidepressant-like effects of DBS in preclinical models have been well documented in multiple targets. Though variable mechanisms have been proposed, DBS-induced acute and long-term changes in neurochemical substrates seem to play an important role in the antidepressant-like effects of this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina P Campos
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Christopher Pople
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Esther Silk
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Shanan Surendrakumar
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Thallita K Rabelo
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Ying Meng
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Nir Lipsman
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Peter Giacobbe
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clement Hamani
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
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10
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Chen S, Sun X, Zhang Y, Mu Y, Su D. Habenula bibliometrics: Thematic development and research fronts of a resurgent field. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:949162. [PMID: 35990593 PMCID: PMC9382245 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.949162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a small structure of the posterior diencephalon that is highly conserved across vertebrates but nonetheless has attracted relatively little research attention until the past two decades. The resurgent interest is motivated by neurobehavioral studies demonstrating critical functions in a broad spectrum of motivational and cognitive processes, including functions relevant to psychiatric diseases. The Hb is widely conceived as an “anti-reward” center that acts by regulating brain monoaminergic systems. However, there is still no general conceptual framework for habenula research, and no study has focused on uncovering potentially significant but overlooked topics that may advance our understanding of physiological functions or suggest potential clinical applications of Hb-targeted interventions. Using science mapping tools, we quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the relevant publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2002 to 2021. Herein we present an overview of habenula-related publications, reveal primary research trends, and prioritize some key research fronts by complementary bibliometric analysis. High-priority research fronts include Ventral Pallidum, Nucleus Accumbens, Nicotine and MHb, GLT-1, Zebrafish, and GCaMP, Ketamine, Deep Brain Stimulation, and GPR139. The high intrinsic heterogeneity of the Hb, extensive connectivity with both hindbrain and forebrain structures, and emerging associations with all three dimensions of mental disorders (internalizing, externalizing, and psychosis) suggest that the Hb may be the neuronal substrate for a common psychopathology factor shared by all mental illnesses termed the p factor. A future challenge is to explore the therapeutic potential of habenular modulation at circuit, cellular, and molecular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sifan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yizhe Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Diansan Su
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Diansan Su,
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11
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Godfrey N, Qiao M, Borgland SL. Activation of LH GABAergic inputs counteracts fasting-induced changes in tVTA/RMTG neurons. J Physiol 2022; 600:2203-2224. [PMID: 35338656 DOI: 10.1113/jp282653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS While dopamine neuronal activity changes with motivational state, it is unknown if fasting influences tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons, a major inhibitory input to VTA dopamine neurons. In unfasted mice, there were sex differences in inhibitory synaptic transmission onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons. Activation of LH GABAergic neurons decreases firing of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons through a monosynaptic input. An acute fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons. An acute fast decreases inhibitory synaptic transmission of the LH GABA input to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in both male and female mice. ABSTRACT Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are strongly innervated by GABAergic neurons in the 'tail of the VTA' (tVTA), also known as the rostralmedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Disinhibition of dopamine neurons through firing of the GABAergic neurons projecting from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) leads to reward seeking and consumption through dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. VTA dopamine neurons respond to changes in motivational state, yet less is known of whether tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons or the LH GABAergic neurons that project to them are also affected by changes in motivational state, such as fasting. An acute 16 h overnight fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons of male and female mice. In addition, fasting decreased synaptic strength at LH GABA to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic synapses, indicated by reduced amplitude of optically evoked currents, decreased readily releasable pool (RRP) size and replenishment. Optical stimulation of LH GABA terminals suppressed evoked action potentials of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in unfasted mice, but this effect decreased following fasting. Furthermore, during fasting, LH GABA inputs to tVTA/RMTg neurons maintained functional connectivity during depolarization, as depolarization block was reduced following fasting. Taken together, inhibitory synaptic transmission from LH GABA inputs onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons decreases following fasting, however ability to functionally inhibit tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons is preserved, allowing for possible disinhibition of dopamine neurons and subsequent foraging. Abstract figure legend The inhibitory synaptic input is represented by the downward arrows. Following fasting, there was a decrease in inhibitory synaptic strength in both males and females. The action potentials represent the excitability, which also decreases in both males and females following fasting. Because both the LH GABA input and excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABA neurons have reduced activity following fasting, we predict that disinhibition of dopamine neurons with stimulation of LH inputs is preserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Godfrey
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
| | - Min Qiao
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
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12
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Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Barrot M. Fos response of the tail of the ventral tegmental area to food restriction entails a prediction error processing. Behav Brain Res 2022; 425:113826. [PMID: 35247487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) or rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) receives lateral habenula inputs and projects heavily to midbrain dopamine neurons. Midbrain dopamine and lateral habenula neurons participate in learning processes predicting the outcomes of actions, placing the tVTA in a critical location into prediction error pathways. tVTA GABA neurons show electrophysiological inhibition or activation after reward and aversive stimuli, respectively, and their predictive cues. tVTA molecular recruitment, however, is not elicited by all aversive stimuli. Indeed, precipitated opioid withdrawal, repeated footshocks or food restriction raise tVTA Fos expression, whereas various other unpleasant, stressful or painful stimuli does not elicit that molecular response. However, the basis of that difference remains unknown. In the present study, we tried to disentangle whether the tVTA c-Fos induction observed after food restriction was due to the aversive state of food restriction or to procedure-related reward prediction error. To this end, male Sprague-Dawley rats were food-restricted for 7-8 days. During this period, animals were handled and weighed every day before feeding. On the test day, rats underwent several behavioral procedures to explore the impact of food restriction and food-predictive cue exposure on tVTA c-Fos expression. We showed that food restriction per se was not able to recruit c-Fos in the tVTA. On the contrary, the food-predicting cues induced c-Fos locally in the absence of feeding, whereas the food-predicting cues followed by feeding evoked lower c-Fos expression. Overall, our results support the proposed involvement of the tVTA in reward prediction error.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-José Sánchez-Catalán
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain.
| | - Michel Barrot
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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13
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Zhang GM, Wu HY, Cui WQ, Peng W. Multi-level variations of lateral habenula in depression: A comprehensive review of current evidence. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1043846. [PMID: 36386995 PMCID: PMC9649931 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1043846] [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: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research in recent decades, knowledge of the pathophysiology of depression in neural circuits remains limited. Recently, the lateral habenula (LHb) has been extensively reported to undergo a series of adaptive changes at multiple levels during the depression state. As a crucial relay in brain networks associated with emotion regulation, LHb receives excitatory or inhibitory projections from upstream brain regions related to stress and cognition and interacts with brain regions involved in emotion regulation. A series of pathological alterations induced by aberrant inputs cause abnormal function of the LHb, resulting in dysregulation of mood and motivation, which present with depressive-like phenotypes in rodents. Herein, we systematically combed advances from rodents, summarized changes in the LHb and related neural circuits in depression, and attempted to analyze the intrinsic logical relationship among these pathological alterations. We expect that this summary will greatly enhance our understanding of the pathological processes of depression. This is advantageous for fostering the understanding and screening of potential antidepressant targets against LHb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Ming Zhang
- College of Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Hong-Yun Wu
- First College of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Cui
- First College of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Peng
- First College of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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14
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Shokri-Kojori E, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Naloxone precipitated withdrawal increases dopamine release in the dorsal striatum of opioid dependent men. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:445. [PMID: 34471102 PMCID: PMC8410787 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01548-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurotransmission is critical in the neurobiology of reward and aversion, but its contribution to the aversive state of opioid withdrawal remains unknown in humans. To address this, we used updated voxelwise methods and retrospectively analyzed a [11C]raclopride-PET dataset to measure D2/3 receptor availability and relative cerebral blood flow (R1) in male opioid use disorder (OUD) participants (n = 10) during placebo and acute opioid withdrawal conditions. We found that acute withdrawal precipitated by the opioid antagonist naloxone significantly increased dorsal striatal DA release in OUD participants (pFWE < 0.05). Net changes in striatal DA were significantly correlated with a subjective index of withdrawal aversion such that greater DA increases were associated with more aversive responses (r(8) = 0.82, p < 0.005). Withdrawal also affected brain function, as indexed by increases in relative cerebral blood flow in the insula and putamen (pFWE < 0.05). Our findings are different from preclinical studies that have primarily reported decreases in ventral striatal DA during naloxone precipitated withdrawal, whereas this effect was not significant in OUD participants (p = 0.79). In sum, we provide evidence for the contribution of increases in dorsal striatal DA to the aversive state of naloxone precipitated withdrawal in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Shokri-Kojori
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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15
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Pribiag H, Shin S, Wang EHJ, Sun F, Datta P, Okamoto A, Guss H, Jain A, Wang XY, De Freitas B, Honma P, Pate S, Lilascharoen V, Li Y, Lim BK. Ventral pallidum DRD3 potentiates a pallido-habenular circuit driving accumbal dopamine release and cocaine seeking. Neuron 2021; 109:2165-2182.e10. [PMID: 34048697 PMCID: PMC9013317 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drugs of abuse induce persistent remodeling of reward circuit function, a process thought to underlie the emergence of drug craving and relapse to drug use. However, how circuit-specific, drug-induced molecular and cellular plasticity can have distributed effects on the mesolimbic dopamine reward system to facilitate relapse to drug use is not fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3)-dependent plasticity in the ventral pallidum (VP) drives potentiation of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens during relapse to cocaine seeking after abstinence. We show that two distinct VP DRD3+ neuronal populations projecting to either the lateral habenula (LHb) or the ventral tegmental area (VTA) display different patterns of activity during drug seeking following abstinence from cocaine self-administration and that selective suppression of elevated activity or DRD3 signaling in the LHb-projecting population reduces drug seeking. Together, our results uncover how circuit-specific DRD3-mediated plasticity contributes to the process of drug relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horia Pribiag
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sora Shin
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Eric Hou-Jen Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Fangmiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, 100871 10 Beijing, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Paul Datta
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexander Okamoto
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hayden Guss
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Akanksha Jain
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xiao-Yun Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Bruna De Freitas
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Patrick Honma
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stefan Pate
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Varoth Lilascharoen
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, 100871 10 Beijing, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Byung Kook Lim
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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16
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Liu C, Liu J, Zhou L, He H, Zhang Y, Cai S, Yuan C, Luo T, Zheng J, Yu T, Zhang M. Lateral Habenula Glutamatergic Neurons Modulate Isoflurane Anesthesia in Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:628996. [PMID: 33746711 PMCID: PMC7969819 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.628996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Since their introduction in the 1840s, one of the largest mysteries of modern anesthesia are how general anesthetics create the state of reversible loss of consciousness. Increasing researchers have shown that neural pathways that regulate endogenous sleep–wake systems are also involved in general anesthesia. Recently, the Lateral Habenula (LHb) was considered as a hot spot for both natural sleep–wake and propofol-induced sedation; however, the role of the LHb and related pathways in the isoflurane-induced unconsciousness has yet to be identified. Here, using real-time calcium fiber photometry recordings in vivo, we found that isoflurane reversibly increased the activity of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Then, we selectively ablated LHb glutamatergic neurons in Vglut2-cre mice, which caused a longer induction time and less recovery time along with a decrease in delta-band power in mice under isoflurane anesthesia. Furthermore, using a chemogenetic approach to specifically activate LHb glutamatergic neurons shortened the induction time and prolonged the recovery time in mice under isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in delta-band power. In contrast, chemogenetic inhibition of LHb glutamatergic neurons was very similar to the effects of selective lesions of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Finally, optogenetic activation of LHb glutamatergic neurons or the synaptic terminals of LHb glutamatergic neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) produced a hypnosis-promoting effect in isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in slow wave activity. Our results suggest that LHb glutamatergic neurons and pathway are vital in modulating isoflurane anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxi Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Junxiao Liu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Haifeng He
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Shuang Cai
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Chengdong Yuan
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Tianyuan Luo
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jijian Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian Yu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Organ Protection, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Mazhong Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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17
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Tapocik JD, Schank JR, Mitchell JR, Damazdic R, Mayo CL, Brady D, Pincus AB, King CE, Heilig M, Elmer GI. Live predator stress in adolescence results in distinct adult behavioral consequences and dorsal diencephalic brain activation patterns. Behav Brain Res 2021; 400:113028. [PMID: 33309751 PMCID: PMC8056471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to traumatic events during childhood increases the risk of adult psychopathology, including anxiety, depression, alcohol use disorders and their co-morbidity. Early life trauma also results in increased symptom complexity, treatment resistance and poor treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel rodent model of adolescent stress, based on an ethologically relevant life-threatening event, live predator exposure. Rats were exposed to a live predator for 10 min. at three different time points (postnatal day (PND)31, 46 and 61). Adult depression-, anxiety-like behaviors and ethanol consumption were characterized well past the last acute stress event (two weeks). Behavioral profiles across assessments were developed to characterize individual response to adolescent stress. CNS activation patterns in separate groups of subjects were characterized after the early (PND31) and last predator exposure (PND61). Subjects exposed to live-predator adolescent stress generally exhibited less exploratory behavior, less propensity to venture into open spaces, a decreased preference for sweet solutions and decreased ethanol consumption in a two-bottle preference test. Additional studies demonstrated blunted cortisol response and CNS activation patterns suggestive of habenula, rostromedial tegmental (RMTg), dorsal raphe and central amygdala involvement in mediating the adult consequences of adolescent stress. Thus, adolescent stress in the form of live-predator exposure results in significant adult behavioral and neurobiological disturbances. Childhood trauma, its impact on neurodevelopment and the subsequent development of mood disorders is a pervasive theme in mental illness. Improving animal models and our neurobiological understanding of the symptom domains impacted by trauma could significantly improve treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Tapocik
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - J R Schank
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - J R Mitchell
- Department of Psychology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 04901, United States
| | - R Damazdic
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - C L Mayo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
| | - D Brady
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
| | - A B Pincus
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - C E King
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - M Heilig
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - G I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
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18
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Brizuela M, Ootsuka Y. Inhibition of the dorsomedial hypothalamus substantially decreases brown adipose tissue sympathetic discharge induced by activation of the lateral habenula. Auton Neurosci 2020; 230:102745. [PMID: 33220531 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2020.102745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) is an evolutionarily ancient nucleus that plays an important role in the detection of salient/adverse environmental events. We have previously shown that the LHb is involved in brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis elicited by stressful situations, and that the medullary raphé, a key lower brainstem sympathetic control centre, mediates BAT thermogenesis elicited by stimulating the LHb. Since there are no direct projections from the LHb to the medullary raphé, it is plausible that the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), a brain region known to be important for thermoregulatory responses to stress, is involved in this thermogenic pathway. In this study we aimed to test this possibility. In anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats, we recorded electrical discharges directly from sympathetic fibres that innervate BAT, as well as BAT temperature. Injections of bicuculline (1 nmol in 100 nl), a neuronal activator by disinhibition, into the LHb increased BAT sympathetic nerve discharge by 4.9 ± 1.4dBμV (n = 7, P < 0.05) and BAT temperature by 1.0 ± 0.1 °C (n = 7, P < 0.01). Subsequent injections of muscimol (0.25 nmol in 100 nl), a neuronal inhibitor, into the DMH promptly reduced BAT sympathetic nerve discharge by 4.7 ± 1.3 dBμV (n = 7, P < 0.05) and BAT temperature by 0.3 ± 0.1 °C (n = 7, P < 0.05). Injections of a mixture of the ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5) and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dioneis (CNQX) into the DMH, after activation of the LHb, also significantly decreased BAT sympathetic nerve discharge and BAT temperature. These results suggest that, for sympathetically-mediated BAT thermogenesis, the DMH is part of the neural circuitry linking the LHb with the medullary raphé.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Brizuela
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, SA, Australia
| | - Youichirou Ootsuka
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, SA, Australia.
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19
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Hui Y, Du C, Xu T, Zhang Q, Tan H, Liu J. Dopamine D4 receptors in the lateral habenula regulate depression-related behaviors via a pre-synaptic mechanism in experimental Parkinson's disease. Neurochem Int 2020; 140:104844. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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ADHD-like behaviors caused by inactivation of a transcription factor controlling the balance of inhibitory and excitatory neuron development in the mouse anterior brainstem. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:357. [PMID: 33087695 PMCID: PMC7578792 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01033-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural circuits regulating motivation and movement include midbrain dopaminergic neurons and associated inhibitory GABAergic and excitatory glutamatergic neurons in the anterior brainstem. Differentiation of specific subtypes of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in the mouse embryonic brainstem is controlled by a transcription factor Tal1. This study characterizes the behavioral and neurochemical changes caused by the absence of Tal1 function. The Tal1cko mutant mice are hyperactive, impulsive, hypersensitive to reward, have learning deficits and a habituation defect in a novel environment. Only minor changes in their dopaminergic system were detected. Amphetamine induced striatal dopamine release and amphetamine induced place preference were normal in Tal1cko mice. Increased dopamine signaling failed to stimulate the locomotor activity of the Tal1cko mice, but instead alleviated their hyperactivity. Altogether, the Tal1cko mice recapitulate many features of the attention and hyperactivity disorders, suggesting a role for Tal1 regulated developmental pathways and neural structures in the control of motivation and movement.
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Shepard RD, Nugent FS. Early Life Stress- and Drug-Induced Histone Modifications Within the Ventral Tegmental Area. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:588476. [PMID: 33102491 PMCID: PMC7554626 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.588476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric illnesses are a major public health concern due to their prevalence and heterogeneity of symptom presentation resulting from a lack of efficacious treatments. Although dysregulated dopamine (DA) signaling has been observed in a myriad of psychiatric conditions, different pathophysiological mechanisms have been implicated which impede the development of adequate treatments that work across all patient populations. The ventral tegmental area (VTA), a major source of DA neurons in the brain reward pathway, has been shown to have altered activity that contributes to reward dysregulation in mental illnesses and drug addiction. It has now become better appreciated that epigenetic mechanisms contribute to VTA DA dysfunction, such as through histone modifications, which dynamically regulate transcription rates of critical genes important in synaptic plasticity underlying learning and memory. Here, we provide a focused review on differential histone modifications within the VTA observed in both humans and animal models, as well as their relevance to disease-based phenotypes, specifically focusing on epigenetic dysregulation of histones in the VTA associated with early life stress (ELS) and drugs of abuse. Locus- and cell-type-specific targeting of individual histone modifications at specific genes within the VTA presents novel therapeutic targets which can result in greater efficacy and better long-term health outcomes in susceptible individuals that are at increased risk for substance use and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Shepard
- Department of Pharmacology, Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology, Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
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M 3 but not M 4 muscarinic receptors in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus are involved in the acquisition of morphine-induced conditioned place preference. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 882:173274. [PMID: 32534071 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Opioids strongly inhibit GABAergic neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) that expresses μ-opioid receptors to induce rewarding and psychomotor effects. M3 and M4 muscarinic receptors are co-localized with μ-opioid receptors at these GABAergic neurons. This study explored whether RMTg M3 and M4 muscarinic receptors are involved in regulating opioid-induced reward and locomotion via a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Selective muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists were both singly and combinatorically injected into the RMTg to examine their effects on the acquisition of systemic morphine-induced CPP and locomotor activity. The M3 muscarinic receptor agonist, pilocarpine, inhibited the acquisition of morphine-induced CPP, whereas its antagonist, 1,1-dimethyl-4-diphenylacetoxypiperidinium iodide (4-DAMP, 1 μg/side), reversed the inhibitory effect of pilocarpine (30 μg/side). Additionally, 4-DAMP increased locomotor activity while pilocarpine (30 μg/side) partially decreased locomotor activity when combined with morphine. In contrast, the M4 muscarinic receptor agonist, LY2033298 (0.1 and 0.2 μg/side), and antagonist, tropicamide (20 and 40 μM/side), did not affect the acquisition of morphine-induced CPP or locomotor activity. Taken together, our findings suggest that RMTg M3 muscarinic receptors are involved in opioid-induced rewarding and psychomotor effects. Therefore, RMTg M3 muscarinic receptors may represent a promising target for the treatment of opioid addiction.
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Lei T, Dong D, Song M, Sun Y, Liu X, Zhao H. Rislenemdaz treatment in the lateral habenula improves despair-like behavior in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1717-1724. [PMID: 32147667 PMCID: PMC7419533 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0652-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The specific GluN2B antagonist rislenemdaz (Ris; a.k.a. MK-0657 and CERC-301) is in phase II clinical trial as an antidepressive drug, but the working mechanism for its antidepressant effects is not clearly understood. Given the important role of the lateral habenula (LHb) in the pathogenesis of depression and the fact that GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are expressed in the LHb, we conducted a study to examine whether the LHb mediates Ris' antidepressant effects in a chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced depressive-like mouse model. In this study, Ris was administered systemically or locally into the LHb. Short hairpin RNAs were used to knockdown BDNF in the LHb. Depressive-like behaviors were assessed with the open field test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and sucrose preference test. Expression of GluN2B, BDNF, and c-Fos in the LHb were analyzed with western blotting and immunohistochemistry under condition with Ris administered systemically or with BDNF knockdown in the LHb. We found that both systemic and intra-LHb administration of Ris alleviated CRS-induced despair-like behavior and that systemic Ris reduced LHb expression of GluN2B, BDNF, and c-Fos (a neuronal activity marker). Specific knockdown of BDNF in the LHb prevented CRS-induced despair-like behavior, while preventing CRS-induced increases in BDNF and c-Fos expression in the LHb. Together these results suggest that Ris may exert its antidepressant effects through affecting the LHb such as downregulating BDNF expression in the LHb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lei
- grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China ,grid.64924.3d0000 0004 1760 5735Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China
| | - Dan Dong
- grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Department of Nephrology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China
| | - Meiying Song
- grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China
| | - Yanfei Sun
- grid.64924.3d0000 0004 1760 5735Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 PR China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, PR China. .,Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, PR China.
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24
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Fakhoury M, Hernandez G, Lévesque D, Rompré PP. Modulation of brain stimulation reward and locomotor activity by ionotropic glutamate receptors of the tail of the ventral tegmental area. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112785. [PMID: 32593543 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus also referred to as the tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) contains a cluster of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons that receive dense glutamatergic afferents from the lateral habenula (LHb), and project to dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). In light of previous evidence implicating glutamate transmission in the regulation of midbrain DA neuronal activity, we first assessed the impact of intra-tVTA microinjection of NBQX (0.8 nmol/side) and PPPA (0.825 nmol/side), respectively AMPA and NMDA receptor antagonists, on reward induced by intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) and on locomotor activity. Since the tVTA contains a large concentration of mu opioid receptors, additional measures were obtained following microinjection of endomorphin-1 (EM-1, 1 nmol/side) to confirm tVTA placements. Then, using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), we tested the effect of tVTA downregulation of the GluN1 subunit of the NMDA receptor on reward and locomotor activity. Results show that NBQX, PPPA and EM-1 all enhance reward and locomotor activity, effects that were of different magnitude in rostral and intermediate parts of the tVTA. On the other hand, a reduction in GluN1 subunits used a marked decrease in operant responding for ICSS, but failed to alter ICSS reward and the reward-enhancing effect of PPPA. Our results support a role for the tVTA as a main inhibitory component of DA-dependent behavioral measures, and suggest that tVTA NMDA receptors that modulate reward are most likely expressed on tVTA afferent terminals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Giovanni Hernandez
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Lévesque
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Paul Rompré
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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25
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Durieux L, Mathis V, Herbeaux K, Muller M, Barbelivien A, Mathis C, Schlichter R, Hugel S, Majchrzak M, Lecourtier L. Involvement of the lateral habenula in fear memory. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2029-2044. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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26
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Zhao YN, Yan YD, Wang CY, Qu WM, Jhou TC, Huang ZL, Yang SR. The Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus: Anatomical Studies and Roles in Sleep and Substance Addictions in Rats and Mice. Nat Sci Sleep 2020; 12:1215-1223. [PMID: 33380853 PMCID: PMC7769149 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s278026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a brake of the dopamine system, is specifically activated by aversive stimuli, such as foot shock. It is principally composed of gamma-aminobutyric acid neurons. However, there is no exact location of the RMTg on the brain stereotaxic atlas. The RMTg can be defined by c-Fos staining elicited by psychostimulants, the position of retrograde-labeled neurons stained by injections into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the terminal field formed by axons from the lateral habenula, and some molecular markers identified as specifically expressed in the RMTg such as FoxP1. The RMTg receives a broad range of inputs and produces diverse outputs, which indicates that the RMTg has multiple functions. First, the RMTg plays an essential role for non-rapid eye movement sleep. Additionally, the RMTg serves a vital role in response to addiction. Opiates increase the firing rates of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA by acting on μ-opioid receptors on RMTg neurons and their terminals inside the VTA. In this review, we summarize the recent research advances on the anatomical location of the RMTg in rats and mice, its projections, and its regulation of sleep-wake behavior and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Dong Yan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen-Yao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Min Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Zhi-Li Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Su-Rong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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27
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Silkstone M, Brudzynski SM. Dissimilar interaction between dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in the initiation of emission of 50-kHz and 22-kHz vocalizations. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 188:172815. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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28
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Brizuela M, Antipov A, Blessing WW, Ootsuka Y. Activating dopamine D2 receptors reduces brown adipose tissue thermogenesis induced by psychological stress and by activation of the lateral habenula. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19512. [PMID: 31862967 PMCID: PMC6925140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56125-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional hyperthermia is the increase in body temperature that occurs as a response to an animal detecting a salient, survival-relevant stimulus. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis, controlled via its sympathetic innervation, contributes to this temperature increase. Here, we have used an intruder rat experimental model to determine whether quinpirole-mediated activation of dopamine D2 receptors attenuates emotional hyperthermia in conscious rats. In anesthetized rats, we determined whether systemic quinpirole reduces BAT nerve discharge induced by activation of the medullary raphé and the lateral habenula (LHb). We measured BAT and body temperature with chronically implanted thermistors in conscious, freely moving, individually housed, male rats (resident rats). Either vehicle or quinpirole was administered, intraperitoneally, to the resident rat 30 min before introduction of a caged intruder rat. Quinpirole, in a dose-dependent manner, reduced intruder-elicited increases in BAT and body temperature. Pre-treatment with the D2 antagonist spiperone, but not the selective D1 antagonist SCH-23390, prevented this quinpirole-elicited decrease. In anesthetized rats, quinpirole abolished BAT sympathetic nerve discharge elicited by bicuculline-mediated activation of the LHb, but not the medullary raphé. Thus, activation of dopamine D2 receptors reduces the BAT thermogenesis that contributes to emotional hyperthermia. We provide evidence that these dopamine D2 receptors are located in the thermogenic pathway between the LHb and the lower brainstem pre-sympathetic control centre in the medullary raphé.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Brizuela
- Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Anna Antipov
- Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - William W Blessing
- Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Youichirou Ootsuka
- Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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29
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Mathis V, Kenny PJ. From controlled to compulsive drug-taking: The role of the habenula in addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:102-111. [PMID: 29936111 PMCID: PMC9871871 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is now recognized as a neurobiological and cognitive brain disorder and is generally viewed as a switch from recreational or voluntary to compulsive substance use despite aversive consequences. The habenula, composed of medial (MHb) and lateral (LHb) domains, has been implicated in regulating behavioral flexibility and anxiety-related behaviors and is considered a core component of the brain "anti-reward" system. These functions position the habenula to influence voluntary behaviors. Consistent with this view, emerging evidence points to alterations in habenula activity as important factors to contributing the loss of control over the use of drugs of abuse and the emergence of compulsive drug seeking behaviors. In this review, we will discuss the general functions of the MHb and LHb and describe how these functional properties allow this brain region to promote or suppress volitional behaviors. Then, we highlight mechanisms by which drugs of abuse may alter habenular activity, precipitating the emergence of addiction-relevant behavioral abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mathis
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York 10029-6574, USA.
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York 10029-6574, USA.
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30
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Morel C, Montgomery S, Han MH. Nicotine and alcohol: the role of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in drug reinforcement. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:2180-2200. [PMID: 30251377 PMCID: PMC6431587 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine and alcohol addiction are leading causes of preventable death worldwide and continue to constitute a huge socio-economic burden. Both nicotine and alcohol perturb the brain's mesocorticolimbic system. Dopamine (DA) neurons projecting from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to multiple downstream structures, including the nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, are highly involved in the maintenance of healthy brain function. VTA DA neurons play a crucial role in associative learning and reinforcement. Nicotine and alcohol usurp these functions, promoting reinforcement of drug taking behaviors. In this review, we will first describe how nicotine and alcohol individually affect VTA DA neurons by examining how drug exposure alters the heterogeneous VTA microcircuit and network-wide projections. We will also examine how coadministration or previous exposure to nicotine or alcohol may augment the reinforcing effects of the other. Additionally, this review briefly summarizes the role of VTA DA neurons in nicotine, alcohol, and their synergistic effects in reinforcement and also addresses the remaining questions related to the circuit-function specificity of the dopaminergic system in mediating nicotine/alcohol reinforcement and comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Morel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Montgomery
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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31
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Pochwat B, Nowak G, Szewczyk B. An update on NMDA antagonists in depression. Expert Rev Neurother 2019; 19:1055-1067. [DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1643237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Pochwat
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Trace Elements Neurobiology, Krakow, Poland
| | - Gabriel Nowak
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Trace Elements Neurobiology, Krakow, Poland
| | - Bernadeta Szewczyk
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Trace Elements Neurobiology, Krakow, Poland
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32
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Kaiser C, Kaufmann C, Leutritz T, Arnold YL, Speck O, Ullsperger M. The human habenula is responsive to changes in luminance and circadian rhythm. Neuroimage 2019; 189:581-588. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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Bidirectional regulation of reward, punishment, and arousal by dopamine, the lateral habenula and the rostromedial tegmentum (RMTg). Curr Opin Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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34
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Li H, Pullmann D, Jhou TC. Valence-encoding in the lateral habenula arises from the entopeduncular region. eLife 2019; 8:41223. [PMID: 30855228 PMCID: PMC6456292 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateral habenula (LHb) neurons are activated by negative motivational stimuli and play key roles in the pathophysiology of depression. Prior reports suggested that rostral entopeduncular nucleus (rEPN) neurons drive these responses in the LHb and rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), but these influences remain untested. Using rabies viral tracers, we demonstrate disynaptic projections from the rEPN to RMTg, but not VTA, via the LHb in rats. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we find that rEPN or LHb subpopulations exhibit activation/inhibition patterns after negative/positive motivational stimuli, similar to the RMTg, while temporary inactivation of a region centered on the rEPN decreases LHb basal and burst firing, and reduces valence-related signals in LHb neurons. Additionally, excitotoxic rEPN lesions partly diminish footshock-induced cFos in the LHb and RMTg. Together, our findings indicate an important role of the rEPN, and possibly immediately adjacent hypothalamus, in driving basal activities and valence processing in LHb and RMTg neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
| | - Dominika Pullmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
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35
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Gold PW, Kadriu B. A Major Role for the Lateral Habenula in Depressive Illness: Physiologic and Molecular Mechanisms. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:320. [PMID: 31231247 PMCID: PMC6558383 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging preclinical and clinical evidence indicate that the lateral habenula plays a major role in the pathophysiology of depressive illness. Aberrant increases in neuronal activity in the lateral habenula, an anti-reward center, signals down-regulation of brainstem dopaminergic and serotonergic firing, leading to anhedonia, helplessness, excessive focus on negative experiences, and, hence, depressive symptomatology. The lateral habenula has distinctive regulatory adaptive role to stress regulation in part due to its bidirectional connectivity with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, studies show that increased lateral habenula activity affects components of sleep regulation including slow wave activity and rapid eye movement (REM), both disrupted in depressive illness. Lack of perceived reward experienced during the adverse outcomes also precipitates lateral habenula firing, while outcomes that meet or exceed expectations decrease lateral habenula firing and, in turn, increase midbrain dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. The ability to update expectations of the environment based on rewards and aversive stimuli reflects a potentially important survival mechanism relevant to the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. What if one lives in a continuously aversive and invalidating environment or under the conditions of chronic stress? If there is a propensity of the habenula to release many burst discharges over time, an individual could habitually come to perceive the world as perpetually disappointing. Conceivably, the lateral habenula could learn to expect an adverse outcome systematically and communicate it more easily. Thus, if the lateral habenula fires more frequently, it may lead to a state of continuous disappointment and hopelessness, akin to depression. Furthermore, postmortem studies reveal that the size of the lateral habenula and total number of neurons are decreased in patients who had depressive illness. Novel research in the field shows that ketamine induces rapid and sustained antidepressant effect. Intriguingly, recent preclinical animal models show that ketamine abolishes N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent lateral habenula bursting activity, leading to rapid resolution of depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip W Gold
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bashkim Kadriu
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Hu H. Advances in Molecular and Circuitry Mechanisms of Depressive Disorder-A Focus on Lateral Habenula. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1180:135-146. [PMID: 31784961 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9271-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a devastating disorder with a combination of diverse symptoms such as low self-esteem, lack of motivation, anhedonia, loss of appetite, low energy, and discomfort without a clear cause. Depression has been suggested to be the result of maladaptive changes in specific brain circuits. Recently, the lateral habenula (LHb) has emerged as a key brain region in the pathophysiology of depression. Increasing evidence from rodent, nonhuman primate, and human studies indicates that the aberrant activity of the LHb is associated with depressive symptoms such as helplessness, anhedonia, and excessive negative focus. Revealing the molecular, cellular, and circuit properties of the LHb will help explain how abnormalities in LHb activity are linked to depressive disorders and shed light on developing novel strategies for depression treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailan Hu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Mental Health Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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Brizuela M, Swoap SJ, Ang J, Blessing WW, Ootsuka Y. Neurons in ventral tegmental area tonically inhibit sympathetic outflow to brown adipose tissue: possible mediation of thermogenic signals from lateral habenula. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2019; 316:R6-R12. [PMID: 30406672 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00256.2018] [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: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus involved in the response to salient, especially adverse, environmental events, is implicated in brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis caused by these events. LHb-elicited thermogenesis involves a neural pathway to the lower brain stem sympathetic control center in the medullary raphé. There are no direct connections from the LHb to the medullary raphé. LHb-mediated behavioral responses involve inhibitory control over the dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), mediated via an excitatory drive from the LHb to GABAergic neurons in the tail of the VTA. We hypothesized that inhibition of the VTA is also involved in LHb-mediated BAT thermogenesis. To test this hypothesis, inhibition of neurons in the VTA with muscimol increased BAT sympathetic nerve discharge by 22.0 ± 9.2 dBμV ( n = 24, P < 0.0001) and BAT temperature by 1.2 ± 0.1°C ( P < 0.001). This response was abolished by inhibition of the medullary raphé neurons with muscimol. BAT thermogenesis initiated with focal injections of bicuculline in the LHb was reversed by subsequent blockade of GABAA receptors in the VTA with bicuculline. These results suggest that, at least in anesthetized rats, neurons in the VTA tonically inhibit BAT thermogenesis via a link, presently unknown, to the medullary raphé. Removal of this VTA-initiated inhibition is an important mechanism whereby LHb neurons activate BAT thermogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Brizuela
- Centre for Neuroscience, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia , Australia
| | - Steven J Swoap
- Department of Biology, Williams College , Williamstown, Massachusetts
| | - James Ang
- Centre for Neuroscience, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia , Australia
| | - William W Blessing
- Centre for Neuroscience, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia , Australia
| | - Youichirou Ootsuka
- Centre for Neuroscience, Discipline of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia , Australia
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Solinas M, Belujon P, Fernagut PO, Jaber M, Thiriet N. Dopamine and addiction: what have we learned from 40 years of research. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 126:481-516. [PMID: 30569209 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1957-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Among the neurotransmitters involved in addiction, dopamine (DA) is clearly the best known. The critical role of DA in addiction is supported by converging evidence that has been accumulated in the last 40 years. In the present review, first we describe the dopaminergic system in terms of connectivity, functioning and involvement in reward processes. Second, we describe the functional, structural, and molecular changes induced by drugs within the DA system in terms of neuronal activity, synaptic plasticity and transcriptional and molecular adaptations. Third, we describe how genetic mouse models have helped characterizing the role of DA in addiction. Fourth, we describe the involvement of the DA system in the vulnerability to addiction and the interesting case of addiction DA replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease. Finally, we describe how the DA system has been targeted to treat patients suffering from addiction and the result obtained in clinical settings and we discuss how these different lines of evidence have been instrumental in shaping our understanding of the physiopathology of drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Solinas
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France.
| | - Pauline Belujon
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Pierre Olivier Fernagut
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Nathalie Thiriet
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
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The power of price compels you: Behavioral economic insights into dopamine-based valuation of rewarding and aversively motivated behavior. Brain Res 2018; 1713:32-41. [PMID: 30543771 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway is generally considered to be a reward pathway. While shortsighted, there is a strong basis for this view of dopamine function. Here, we first describe the role of phasic dopamine release events in reward seeking. We then explain why these release events are being reconsidered as value signals and how we applied behavioral economics to confirm they play a causal role in the valuation of reward. Just because dopamine release can function as a dopamine reward value signal however, does not imply that dopamine is solely a reward molecule. Rather, mesocorticolimbic dopamine appears to mediate many adaptive behaviors, including: reward seeking, avoidance, escape and fear-associated conditioned freezing. While more studies are needed before a consensus is reached on when, where and how dopamine mediates aversively-motivated behavior, its involvement is almost irrefutable. Thus, we next describe the role dopamine plays in these ethologically-relevant defensive behaviors. We conclude by describing our recent behavioral economics results that reveal a causal role for dopamine in the valuation of avoidance.
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40
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Ostroumov A, Dani JA. Inhibitory Plasticity of Mesocorticolimbic Circuits in Addiction and Mental Illness. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:898-910. [PMID: 30149979 PMCID: PMC6252277 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral adaptations occur through remodeling of brain circuits, as arising, for instance, from experience-dependent synaptic plasticity. Drugs of abuse and aversive stimuli, such as stress, act on the mesocorticolimbic system, dysregulating adaptive mechanisms and leading to a variety of aberrant behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Until recently, research in the field has commonly focused on experience-dependent synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses. However, there is growing evidence that synaptic plasticity within inhibitory circuits is an important contributor to maladaptive behaviors. We speculate that restoring normal inhibitory synaptic transmission is a promising therapeutic target for correcting some of the circuit abnormalities underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Ostroumov
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - John A Dani
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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41
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Functions of medial hypothalamic and mesolimbic dopamine circuitries in aggression. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 24:104-112. [PMID: 30746430 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is a crucial survival behavior: it is employed to defend territory, compete for food and mating opportunities, protect kin, and resolve disputes. Although widely differing in its behavioral expression, aggression is observed across many species. The neural substrates of aggression have been investigated for nearly a century and two highly conserved circuitries emerge as critical substrates for generating and modulating aggression. One circuitry centers on the medial hypothalamus. Activity of the medial hypothalamic cells closely correlates with attacks and can bi-directionally modulate aggressive behaviors. The other aggression-related circuit involves the mesolimbic dopamine cells. Dopaminergic antagonists are the most commonly used treatment for suppressing human aggression in psychotic patients. Animal studies support essential roles of dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens in assessing the reward value of aggression and reinforcing the aggressive behaviors. In this review, we will provide an overview regarding the functions of medial hypothalamus and dopaminergic system in mediating aggressive behaviors and the potential interactions between these two circuitries.
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Elmer GI, Palacorolla H, Mayo CL, Brown PL, Jhou TC, Brady D, Shepard PD. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus modulates the development of stress-induced helpless behavior. Behav Brain Res 2018; 359:950-957. [PMID: 29932954 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of clinical and preclinical research suggests that structural and functional changes in the habenula, a component of the epithalamus, are associated with major depressive disorder. A major excitatory, efferent projection from the habenula targets the rostromedial tegmentum (RMTg), a mesopontine region that provides significant input to the ventral tegmentum and raphe nuclei. While the RMTg contributes to monoaminergic responses to aversive events, its role in stress-based animal models of depression has yet to be determined. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that the RMTg is a component of the circuitry mediating the development of a maladaptive behavior in which rats repeatedly exposed to inescapable footshock, fail to avoid or escape the same stressor when subsequently given the opportunity to do so. Excitotoxic lesions of the RMTg significantly diminished the frequency of these escape failures 24 h after exposure to inescapable footshock. Conversely, electrical stimulation of the Hb during the initial uncontrollable aversive event, a manipulation that enhances excitatory input to the RMTg, increased the number of trials in which subjects failed to escape an aversive stimulus when presented the option 24 h later. These complementary results provide evidence supporting a role for the RMTg in the expression of stress-induced helpless phenotype and are an important step in understanding the contribution made by this region to the development of depression-related maladaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- G I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States.
| | - H Palacorolla
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - C L Mayo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - P L Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - T C Jhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
| | - D Brady
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - P D Shepard
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
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43
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Fakhoury M. The tail of the ventral tegmental area in behavioral processes and in the effect of psychostimulants and drugs of abuse. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:30-38. [PMID: 29421265 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) is a recently identified structure that exerts a major inhibitory drive onto midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. Also referred to as the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), the tVTA is a cluster of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons that starts within the posterior end of the VTA, where it is restricted dorsolateral to the caudal part of the interpeduncular nucleus, and extends into the pons. First identified in the rat, the tVTA has been described in many species, including mice and monkeys, as a region exhibiting similar anatomical and behavioral properties; it receives strong excitatory inputs from the lateral habenula (LHb), conveys negative reward-related information, and inhibits midbrain DA neuron activity. As an important inhibitory afferent to midbrain DA neurons, the tVTA is also implicated in drug abuse and in the complex interplay between reward and aversion processes. The overarching goal of this review is to provide the current state of knowledge on the anatomy and connectivity of the tVTA and to discuss recent evidence implicating this structure in reward-related processes and in the effect of psychostimulants and drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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44
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Zhang H, Li K, Chen HS, Gao SQ, Xia ZX, Zhang JT, Wang F, Chen JG. Dorsal raphe projection inhibits the excitatory inputs on lateral habenula and alleviates depressive behaviors in rats. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2243-2258. [PMID: 29460052 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1623-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hypofunction of the serotonergic (5-HT) system has close relationship with the symptoms in major depressive disorders (MDD), however, the underlying neural circuitry mechanisms are not fully understood. Lateral habenula (LHb) plays a crucial role in aversive behaviors and is activated in conditions of depression. It has been reported that 5-HT inhibits the excitability of LHb neurons, leading to the hypothesis that decreased transmission of 5-HT would elevate the activity of LHb and therefore mediates depressive symptoms. Using retrograde tract tracing with cholera toxin subunit B, we find that dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) sends primary 5-HT projection to the LHb. In vitro slice patch-clamp recording reveals that opto-stimulation of DRN inputs to the LHb suppresses the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current, while increases paired pulse ratio in LHb neurons, indicating 5-HT projection presynaptically suppresses the excitability of LHb neurons. In chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression, optogenetic stimulation of DRN-LHb projection alleviates the depressive symptoms in CUMS models. Meanwhile, opto-inhibition of this circuit results in elevated c-fos expression in LHb and induces depression-like behaviors. This study demonstrates that the 5-HT projection from DRN to LHb suppresses the excitability of LHb neurons, and hypofunction of 5-HT transmission induces depressive behavior via the activation of LHb. Our results reveal the functional connectivity of DRN-LHb circuit and its antidepressant action, which may provide a novel target for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Kuan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hong-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuang-Qi Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhi-Xuan Xia
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jie-Ting Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Collaborative-Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Collaborative-Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Abstract
Clinical studies have demonstrated that a single sub-anesthetic dose of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine induces rapid and sustained antidepressant actions. Although this finding has been met with enthusiasm, ketamine's widespread use is limited by its abuse potential and dissociative properties. Recent preclinical research has focused on unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of ketamine in an effort to develop novel pharmacotherapies, which will mimic ketamine's antidepressant actions but lack its undesirable effects. Here we review hypotheses for the mechanism of action of ketamine as an antidepressant, including synaptic or GluN2B-selective extra-synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibition, inhibition of NMDARs localized on GABAergic interneurons, inhibition of NMDAR-dependent burst firing of lateral habenula neurons, and the role of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor activation. We also discuss links between ketamine's antidepressant actions and downstream mechanisms regulating synaptic plasticity, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). Mechanisms that do not involve direct inhibition of the NMDAR, including a role for ketamine's (R)-ketamine enantiomer and hydroxynorketamine (HNK) metabolites, specifically (2R,6R)-HNK, are also discussed. Proposed mechanisms of ketamine's action are not mutually exclusive and may act in a complementary manner to exert acute changes in synaptic plasticity, leading to sustained strengthening of excitatory synapses, which are necessary for antidepressant behavioral actions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning ketamine's antidepressant actions will be invaluable for the identification of targets, which will drive the development of novel, effective, next-generation pharmacotherapies for the treatment of depression.
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46
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Lateral habenula in the pathophysiology of depression. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 48:90-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Laurent V, Wong FL, Balleine BW. The Lateral Habenula and Its Input to the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Mediates Outcome-Specific Conditioned Inhibition. J Neurosci 2017; 37:10932-10942. [PMID: 28986462 PMCID: PMC6596488 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3415-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals can readily learn that stimuli predict the absence of specific appetitive outcomes; however, the neural substrates underlying such outcome-specific conditioned inhibition remain largely unexplored. Here, using female and male rats as subjects, we examined the involvement of the lateral habenula (LHb) and of its inputs onto the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) in inhibitory learning. In these experiments, we used backward conditioning and contingency reversal to establish outcome-specific conditioned inhibitors for two distinct appetitive outcomes. Then, using the Pavlovian-instrumental transfer paradigm, we assessed the effects of manipulations of the LHb and the LHb-RMTg pathway on that inhibitory encoding. In control animals, we found that an outcome-specific conditioned inhibitor biased choice away from actions delivering that outcome and toward actions earning other outcomes. Importantly, this bias was abolished by both electrolytic lesions of the LHb and selective ablation of LHb neurons using Cre-dependent Caspase3 expression in Cre-expressing neurons projecting to the RMTg. This deficit was specific to conditioned inhibition; an excitatory predictor of a specific outcome-biased choice toward actions delivering the same outcome to a similar degree whether the LHb or the LHb-RMTg network was intact or not. LHb lesions also disrupted the ability of animals to inhibit previously encoded stimulus-outcome contingencies after their reversal, pointing to a critical role of the LHb and of its inputs onto the RMTg in outcome-specific conditioned inhibition in appetitive settings. These findings are consistent with the developing view that the LHb promotes a negative reward prediction error in Pavlovian conditioning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stimuli that positively or negatively predict rewarding outcomes influence choice between actions that deliver those outcomes. Previous studies have found that a positive predictor of a specific outcome biases choice toward actions delivering that outcome. In contrast, a negative predictor of an outcome biases choice away from actions earning that outcome and toward other actions. Here we reveal that the lateral habenula is critical for negative predictors, but not positive predictors, to affect choice. Furthermore, these effects were found to require activation of lateral habenula inputs to the rostromedial tegmental nucleus. These results are consistent with the view that the lateral habenula establishes inhibitory relationships between stimuli and food outcomes and computes a negative prediction error in Pavlovian conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Laurent
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia, and
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
| | - Felix L Wong
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
| | - Bernard W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia, and
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
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48
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Zahm DS, Root DH. Review of the cytology and connections of the lateral habenula, an avatar of adaptive behaving. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:3-21. [PMID: 28647565 PMCID: PMC5659881 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cytology and connections of the lateral habenula (LHb) are reviewed. The habenula is first introduced, after which the cytology of the LHb is discussed mainly with reference to cell types, general topography and descriptions of subnuclei. An overview of LHb afferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections to LHb from a number of structures. An overview of lateral habenula efferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections from LHb to a number of structures. In considering the afferent and efferent connections of the LHb some attention is given to the relative validity of regarding it as a bi-partite structure featuring 'limbic' and 'pallidal' parts. The paper ends with some concluding remarks about the relative place of the LHb in adaptive behaving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Zahm
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63104, United States.
| | - David H Root
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States.
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49
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Role of the lateral habenula in memory through online processing of information. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:69-78. [PMID: 28709783 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Our memory abilities, whether they involve short-term working memory or long-term episodic or procedural memories, are essential for our well-being, our capacity to adapt to constraints of our environment and survival. Therefore, several key brain regions and neurotransmitter systems are engaged in the processing of sensory information to either maintain such information in working memory so that it will quickly be used, and/or participate in the elaboration and storage of enduring traces useful for longer periods of time. Animal research has recently attracted attention on the lateral habenula which, as shown in rodents and non-human primates, seems to process information stemming in the main regions involved in memory processing, e.g., the medial prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the amygdala, the septal region, the basal ganglia, and participates in the control of key memory-related neurotransmitters systems, i.e., dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine. Recently, the lateral habenula has been involved in working and spatial reference memories, in rodents, likely by participating in online processing of contextual information. In addition, several behavioral studies strongly suggest that it is also involved in the processing of the emotional valance of incoming information in order to adapt to particularly stressful situations. Therefore, the lateral habenula appears like a key region at the interface between cognition and emotion to participate in the selection of appropriate behaviors.
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50
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Mendoza J. Circadian neurons in the lateral habenula: Clocking motivated behaviors. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:55-61. [PMID: 28666896 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The main circadian clock in mammals is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), however, central timing mechanisms are also present in other brain structures beyond the SCN. The lateral habenula (LHb), known for its important role in the regulation of the monoaminergic system, contains such a circadian clock whose molecular and cellular mechanisms as well as functional role are not well known. However, since monoaminergic systems show circadian activity, it is possible that the LHb-clock's role is to modulate the rhythmic activity of the dopamine, serotonin and norephinephrine systems, and associated behaviors. Moreover, the LHb is involved in different pathological states such as depression, addiction and schizophrenia, states in which sleep and circadian alterations have been reported. Thus, perturbations of circadian activity in the LHb might, in part, be a cause of these rhythmic alterations in psychiatric ailments. In this review the current state of the LHb clock and its possible implications in the control of monoaminergic systems rhythms, motivated behaviors (e.g., feeding, drug intake) and depression (with circadian disruptions and altered motivation) will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Mendoza
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, CNRS-UPR 3212 Strasbourg France, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 cedex Strasbourg, France.
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