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Sialubanje C, Sumbwa PI, Zulu N, Mwanza NB, Chavula MP, Zulu J. Gender integration and female participation in scientific and health research in Zambia: a descriptive cross-sectional study protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e064139. [PMID: 36878653 PMCID: PMC9990657 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064139] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the Zambian government making progress on prioritising gender mainstreaming, female participation in science, technology and innovation in academia, research and development is still low. This study aims to determine the integration of gender dimensions and the factors that influence female participation in science and health research in Zambia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We propose a descriptive cross-sectional study design employing in-depth interviews (IDIs) and survey as data collection techniques. Twenty schools offering science-based programmes will be purposively selected from University of Zambia (UNZA), Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University and Kwame Nkrumah University. In addition, two research institutions, Tropical Disease Research Centre and Mount Makulu Agricultural Research Station, will be included. Survey respondents will include a random sample of 1389 academic and research staff from the selected schools. A total of 30 IDIs will be conducted with staff and heads of selected schools and research institutions. Data collection will be conducted over a 12-month period. Before commencement of data collection, in-depth literature search and record review on gender dimensions in science and health research will be conducted to gain insight into the subject matter and inform research instrument design. Survey data and IDIs will be collected using a structured paper-based questionnaire and semistructured interview guide, respectively. Descriptive statistics will be computed to summarise respondents' characteristics. Bivariate analysis (χ2 test and independent t-test) and multivariate regression analysis will be conducted to test the association and identify factors influencing female participation in science and health research (adjusted ORs, p<0.05). An inductive approach will be used to analyse qualitative data using NVivo. Survey and IDI will be corroborated. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study involves human participants and was approved by UNZA Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (UNZABREC; UNZA BREC 1674-2022). Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part. Study findings will be disseminated through a written report, stakeholder meetings and publication in a peer-reviewed international journal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cephas Sialubanje
- School of Public Health, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Nyondwa Zulu
- School of Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | | | - Joseph Zulu
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
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Jimenez Chavez CL, Van Doren E, Matalon J, Ogele N, Kharwa A, Madory L, Kazerani I, Herbert J, Torres-Gonzalez J, Rivera E, Szumlinski KK. Alcohol-Drinking Under Limited-Access Procedures During Mature Adulthood Accelerates the Onset of Cognitive Impairment in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:732375. [PMID: 35685271 PMCID: PMC9171112 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.732375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A history of heavy drinking increases vulnerability to, and the severity of, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias, with alcohol use disorder identified as the strongest modifiable risk factor for early-onset dementia. Heavy drinking has increased markedly in women over the past 10 years, particularly in mature adult women during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is concerning as women are more sensitive to many alcohol-related disease states, including AD and related dementias. Herein, we conducted two studies to determine if a 1-month period of binge drinking during mature adulthood (i.e., 5–9 months of age) impairs spatial and working memory to a greater extent in female vs. male C57BL/6J (B6J) mice. The anxiogenic and cognitive-impairing effects of binge drinking were also compared between mature adult and old B6J mice (18 months of age) in a third study. Throughout, females consumed more alcohol than males, indicating that a sex difference in binge drinking persists into old age. Despite the sex difference in intake, we detected no consistent sex difference in our measures of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety during a behavioral test battery. Although mature adult females exhibited more cognitive deficits than males, the precise outcome exhibiting a female-selective effect varied across studies. Old mice drank lower amounts of alcohol than mature adult mice, yet their blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) were within error of the 80 mg/dl criterion for binge drinking, indicative of an age-related slowing of alcohol metabolism. As expected, 18-month-old controls exhibited more signs of cognitive impairment than their 6-month-old counterparts, and binge drinking history impaired the Morris water maze performance of mice of both ages. In contrast, binge drinking history impaired the radial arm maze performance of 6-month-old mice only, and the extent of the impairment was comparable to the behavior exhibited by the older mice. We conclude from our studies that: (1) both biological sex and the age of drinking onset are subject factors that impact voluntary alcohol consumption by mice into old age; (2) binge drinking during later life elicits a negative affective state that is relatively sex-independent; (3) binge drinking during both mature adulthood and old age impairs spatial learning and memory; (4) binge drinking during mature adulthood accelerates deficits in working memory; and (5) mature adult females tend to exhibit more alcohol-induced cognitive impairments than males. If relevant to humans, these findings suggest that binge-like drinking by older adult men and women induces a negative affective state and cognitive decline, but that mature adult women, in particular, may be more sensitive to both the immediate and persistent cognitive-impairing effects of heavy drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Leonardo Jimenez Chavez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Eliyana Van Doren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jacob Matalon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Nneoma Ogele
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Aadithya Kharwa
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Lauren Madory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Ida Kazerani
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jessica Herbert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jose Torres-Gonzalez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Emely Rivera
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Karen K. Szumlinski
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de Bartolomeis A, Barone A, Buonaguro EF, Tomasetti C, Vellucci L, Iasevoli F. The Homer1 family of proteins at the crossroad of dopamine-glutamate signaling: An emerging molecular "Lego" in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. A systematic review and translational insight. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104596. [PMID: 35248676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Once considered only scaffolding proteins at glutamatergic postsynaptic density (PSD), Homer1 proteins are increasingly emerging as multimodal adaptors that integrate different signal transduction pathways within PSD, involved in motor and cognitive functions, with putative implications in psychiatric disorders. Regulation of type I metabotropic glutamate receptor trafficking, modulation of calcium signaling, tuning of long-term potentiation, organization of dendritic spines' growth, as well as meta- and homeostatic plasticity control are only a few of the multiple endocellular and synaptic functions that have been linked to Homer1. Findings from preclinical studies, as well as genetic studies conducted in humans, suggest that both constitutive (Homer1b/c) and inducible (Homer1a) isoforms of Homer1 play a role in the neurobiology of several psychiatric disorders, including psychosis, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and addiction. On this background, Homer1 has been proposed as a putative novel target in psychopharmacological treatments. The aim of this review is to summarize and systematize the growing body of evidence on Homer proteins, highlighting the role of Homer1 in the pathophysiology and therapy of mental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
| | - Annarita Barone
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Filomena Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine Tomasetti
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Licia Vellucci
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Felice Iasevoli
- Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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Kearns AM, Siemsen BM, Hopkins JL, Weber RA, Scofield MD, Peters J, Reichel CM. Chemogenetic inhibition of corticostriatal circuits reduces cued reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13097. [PMID: 34431593 PMCID: PMC8809357 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (meth) causes enduring changes within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NA). Projections from the mPFC to the NA have a distinct dorsal-ventral distribution, with the prelimbic (PL) mPFC projecting to the NAcore, and the infralimbic (IL) mPFC projecting to the NAshell. Inhibition of these circuits has opposing effects on cocaine relapse. Inhibition of PL-NAcore reduces cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking and IL-NAshell inhibition reinstates cocaine seeking. Meth, however, exhibits a different profile, as pharmacological inhibition of either the PL or IL decrease cued reinstatement of meth-seeking. The potentially opposing roles of the PL-NAcore and IL-NAshell projections remain to be explored in the context of cued meth seeking. Here we used an intersectional viral vector approach that employs a retrograde delivery of Cre from the NA and Cre-dependent expression of DREADD in the mPFC, in both male and female rats to inhibit or activate these parallel pathways. Inhibition of the PL-NAcore circuit reduced cued reinstatement of meth seeking under short and long-access meth self-administration and after withdrawal with and without extinction. Inhibition of the IL-NAshell also decreased meth cued reinstatement. Activation of the parallel circuits was without an effect. These studies show that inhibition of the PL-NAcore or the IL-NAshell circuits can inhibit reinstated meth seeking. Thus, the neural circuitry mediating cued reinstatement of meth seeking is similar to cocaine in the dorsal, but not ventral, mPFC-NA circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M. Kearns
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Benjamin M. Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesiology Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Jordan L. Hopkins
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Rachel A. Weber
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
- Department of Anesthesiology Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Jamie Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology University of Colorado Denver Aurora Colorado USA
- Department of Pharmacology University of Colorado Denver Aurora Colorado USA
| | - Carmela M. Reichel
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
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Huerta Sanchez LL, Sankaran M, Li TL, Doan H, Chiu A, Shulman E, Shab G, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Profiling prefrontal cortex protein expression in rats exhibiting an incubation of cocaine craving following short-access self-administration procedures. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1031585. [PMID: 36684008 PMCID: PMC9846226 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1031585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Incubation of drug-craving refers to a time-dependent increase in drug cue-elicited craving that occurs during protracted withdrawal. Historically, rat models of incubated cocaine craving employed extended-access (typically 6 h/day) intravenous drug self-administration (IV-SA) procedures, although incubated cocaine craving is reported to occur following shorter-access IV-SA paradigms. The notoriously low-throughput of extended-access IV-SA prompted us to determine whether two different short-access IV-SA procedures akin to those in the literature result in qualitatively similar changes in glutamate receptor expression and the activation of downstream signaling molecules within prefrontal cortex (PFC) subregions as those reported previously by our group under 6h-access conditions. METHODS For this, adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to intravenously self-administer cocaine for 2 h/day for 10 consecutive days (2-h model) or for 6 h on day 1 and 2 h/day for the remaining 9 days of training (Mixed model). A sham control group was also included that did not self-administer cocaine. RESULTS On withdrawal day 3 or 30, rats were subjected to a 2-h test of cue-reinforced responding in the absence of cocaine and a time-dependent increase in drug-seeking was observed under both IV-SA procedures. Immunoblotting of brain tissue collected immediately following the cue test session indicated elevated phospho-Akt1, phospho-CaMKII and Homer2a/b expression within the prelimbic subregion of the PFC of cocaine-incubated rats. However, we failed to detect incubation-related changes in Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor or ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit expression in either subregion. DISCUSSION These results highlight further a role for Akt1-related signaling within the prelimbic cortex in driving incubated cocaine craving, and provide novel evidence supporting a potential role also for CaMKII-dependent signaling through glutamate receptors in this behavioral phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Huerta Sanchez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Mathangi Sankaran
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Taylor L Li
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Hoa Doan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Alvin Chiu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Eleanora Shulman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Gabriella Shab
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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Chiu AS, Kang MC, Huerta Sanchez LL, Fabella AM, Holder KN, Barger BD, Elias KN, Shin CB, Jimenez Chavez CL, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Preclinical evidence to support repurposing everolimus for craving reduction during protracted drug withdrawal. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2090-2100. [PMID: 34188183 PMCID: PMC8505628 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01064-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cue-elicited drug-craving is a cardinal feature of addiction that intensifies (incubates) during protracted withdrawal. In a rat model, these addiction-related behavioral pathologies are mediated, respectively, by time-dependent increases in PI3K/Akt1 signaling and reduced Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu) expression, within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Herein, we examined the capacity of single oral dosing with everolimus, an FDA-approved inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt effector mTOR, to reduce incubated cocaine-craving and reverse incubation-associated changes in vmPFC kinase activity and mGlu expression. Rats were trained to lever-press for intravenous infusions of cocaine or delivery of sucrose pellets and then subjected to tests for cue-reinforced responding during early (3 days) or late (30-46 days) withdrawal. Rats were gavage-infused with everolimus (0-1.0 mg/kg), either prior to testing to examine for effects upon reinforcer-seeking behavior, or immediately following testing to probe effects upon the consolidation of extinction learning. Single oral dosing with everolimus dose-dependently blocked cocaine-seeking during late withdrawal and the effect lasted at least 24 h. No everolimus effects were observed for cue-elicited sucrose-seeking or cocaine-seeking in early withdrawal. In addition, everolimus treatment, following initial cue-testing, reduced subsequent cue hyper-responsivity exhibited observed during late withdrawal, arguing a facilitation of extinction memory consolidation. everolimus' "anti-incubation" effect was associated with a reversal of withdrawal-induced changes in indices of PI3K/Akt1/mTOR activity, as well as Homer protein and mGlu1/5 expression, within the prelimbic (PL) subregion of the prefrontal cortex. Our results indicate mTOR inhibition as a viable strategy for interrupting heightened cocaine-craving and facilitating addiction recovery during protracted withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin S Chiu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Matthew C Kang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Laura L Huerta Sanchez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Anne M Fabella
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kalysta N Holder
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Brooke D Barger
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kristina N Elias
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Christina B Shin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - C Leonardo Jimenez Chavez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Methamphetamine abuse leads to devastating consequences, including addiction, crime, and death. Despite decades of research, no medication has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder. Thus, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches. Animal studies demonstrate that methamphetamine exposure dysregulates forebrain function involving the Group-I metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5), which is predominantly localized to postsynaptic sites. Allosteric modulators of mGlu5 offer a unique opportunity to modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission selectively, thereby potentially ameliorating methamphetamine-induced disruptions. Negative allosteric modulators of mGlu5 attenuate the effects of methamphetamine, including rewarding/reinforcing properties of the drug across animal models, and have shown promising effects in clinical trials for Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Preclinical studies have also sparked great interest in mGlu5 positive allosteric modulators, which exhibit antipsychotic and anxiolytic properties, and facilitate extinction learning when access to methamphetamine is removed, possibly via the amelioration of methamphetamine-induced cognitive deficits. Clinical research is now needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the mGlu5 receptor-related effects of methamphetamine and the contributions of these effects to addictive behaviors. The growing array of mGlu5 allosteric modulators provides excellent tools for this purpose and may offer the prospect of developing tailored and effective medications for Methamphetamine Use Disorder.
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Fultz EK, Quadir SG, Martin D, Flaherty DM, Worley PF, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. ERK-Directed Phosphorylation of mGlu5 Gates Methamphetamine Reward and Reinforcement in Mouse. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031473. [PMID: 33540617 PMCID: PMC7867251 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive psychomotor stimulant drug. In recent years, MA use has increased exponentially on a global scale, with the number of MA-involved deaths reaching epidemic proportions. There is no approved pharmacotherapy for treating MA use disorder, and we know relatively little regarding the neurobiological determinants of vulnerability to this disease. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is an important signaling molecule implicated in the long-lasting neuroadaptations purported to underlie the development of substance use disorders, but the role for this kinase in the propensity to develop addiction, particularly MA use disorder, is uncharacterized. In a previous MA-induced place-conditioning study of C57BL/6J mice, we characterized mice as MA-preferring, -neutral, or -avoiding and collected tissue from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Using immunoblotting, we determined that elevated phosphorylated ERK expression within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a biochemical correlate of the affective valence of MA in a population of C57BL/6J mice. We confirmed the functional relevance for mPFC ERK activation for MA-induced place-preference via site-directed infusion of the MEK inhibitor U0126. By contrast, ERK inhibition did not have any effect upon MA-induced locomotion or its sensitization upon repeated MA treatment. Through studies of transgenic mice with alanine point mutations on T1123/S1126 of mGlu5 that disrupt ERK-dependent phosphorylation of the receptor, we discovered that ERK-dependent mGlu5 phosphorylation normally suppresses MA-induced conditioned place-preference (MA-CPP), but is necessary for this drug’s reinforcing properties. If relevant to humans, the present results implicate individual differences in the capacity of MA-associated cues/contexts to hyper-activate ERK signaling within mPFC in MA Use Disorder vulnerability and pose mGlu5 as one ERK-directed target contributing to the propensity to seek out and take MA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa K. Fultz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
| | - Sema G. Quadir
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
| | - Douglas Martin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
| | - Daniel M. Flaherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
| | - Paul F. Worley
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Tod E. Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (E.K.F.); (S.G.Q.); (D.M.); (D.M.F.); (T.E.K.)
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-805-893-2987; Fax: +1-805-893-4303
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Brown CN, Fultz EK, Ferdousian S, Rogers S, Lustig E, Page A, Shahin JR, Flaherty DM, Von Jonquieres G, Bryant CD, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Transgenic Analyses of Homer2 Function Within Nucleus Accumbens Subregions in the Regulation of Methamphetamine Reward and Reinforcement in Mice. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:11. [PMID: 32116834 PMCID: PMC7013000 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Problems associated with the abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants, including methamphetamine (MA), pose serious health and socioeconomic issues world-wide. While it is well-established that MA's psychopharmacological effects involve interactions with monoamine neurotransmission, accumulating evidence from animal models implicates dysregulated glutamate in MA addiction vulnerability and use disorder. Recently, we discovered an association between genetic vulnerability to MA-taking and increased expression of the glutamate receptor scaffolding protein Homer2 within both the shell and core subregions of the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and demonstrated a necessary role for Homer2 within the shell subregion in MA reward and reinforcement in mice. This report extends our earlier work by interrogating the functional relevance of Homer2 within the NAC core for the conditioned rewarding and reinforcing properties of MA. C57BL/6J mice with a virus-mediated knockdown of Homer2b expression within the NAC core were first tested for the development and expression of a MA-induced conditioned place-preference/CPP (four pairings of 2 mg/kg MA) and then were trained to self-administer oral MA under operant-conditioning procedures (5-80 mg/L). Homer2b knockdown in the NAC core augmented a MA-CPP and shifted the dose-response function for MA-reinforced responding, above control levels. To determine whether Homer2b within NAC subregions played an active role in regulating MA reward and reinforcement, we characterized the MA phenotype of constitutive Homer2 knockout (KO) mice and then assayed the effects of virus-mediated overexpression of Homer2b within the NAC shell and core of wild-type and KO mice. In line with the results of NAC core knockdown, Homer2 deletion potentiated MA-induced CPP, MA-reinforced responding and intake, as well as both cue- and MA-primed reinstatement of MA-seeking following extinction. However, there was no effect of Homer2b overexpression within the NAC core or the shell on the KO phenotype. These data provide new evidence indicating a globally suppressive role for Homer2 in MA-seeking and MA-taking but argue against specific NAC subregions as the neural loci through which Homer2 actively regulates MA addiction-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea N Brown
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Elissa K Fultz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Sami Ferdousian
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Sarina Rogers
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Elijah Lustig
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Ariana Page
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - John R Shahin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Daniel M Flaherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Georg Von Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Camron D Bryant
- Laboratory of Addiction Genetics, Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Center for Collaborative Biotechnology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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10
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Szumlinski KK, Ary AW, Shin CB, Wroten MG, Courson J, Miller BW, Ruppert‐Majer M, Hiller JW, Shahin JR, Ben‐Shahar O, Kippin TE. PI3K activation within ventromedial prefrontal cortex regulates the expression of drug-seeking in two rodent species. Addict Biol 2019; 24:1216-1226. [PMID: 30450839 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are intracellular signal transducer enzymes that recruit protein kinase B (aka Akt) to the cell membrane, the subsequent activation of which regulates many cellular functions. PI3K/Akt activity is up-regulated within mesocorticolimbic structures in animal models of alcoholism, but less is known regarding PI3K/Akt activity in animal models of cocaine addiction. Given that prefrontal cortex (PFC) is grossly dysregulated in addiction, we studied how cocaine affects protein indices of PFC PI3K/Akt activity in rat and mouse models and examined the relevance of PI3K activity for cocaine-related learning. Immunoblotting of mouse medial PFC at 3 weeks withdrawal from a cocaine-sensitization regimen (seven injections of 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [IP]) revealed increased kinase activity, as did immunoblotting of tissue from the ventral PFC of rats with a history of long-access intravenous cocaine self-administration (0.25 mg/0.1 mL infusion; 10 days of 6 h/d cocaine access). Interestingly, increased Akt phosphorylation was observed in rat ventromedial PFC at both 3- and 30-day withdrawal only in animals re-exposed to cocaine-associated cues. A conditioned place-preference paradigm in mice and a cue-elicited drug-seeking test in rats were conducted to determine the functional relevance for elevated PI3K activity for addiction-related behavior. In both cases, an intra-PFC infusion of the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (50μM) reduced drug-seeking behavior. Taken together, this cross-species, interdisciplinary, study provides convincing evidence that cocaine history produces an enduring increase in PI3K/Akt-dependent signaling within the more ventral aspect of the PFC that is relevant to behavioral reactivity to drug-associated cues/contexts. As such, PI3K inhibitors may well serve as an effective strategy for reducing drug cue reactivity and craving in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
- Department of MolecularCellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute Santa Barbara California
| | - Alexis W. Ary
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Christina B. Shin
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Melissa G. Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Justin Courson
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Bailey W. Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Micaela Ruppert‐Majer
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - John W. Hiller
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - John R. Shahin
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Osnat Ben‐Shahar
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Tod E. Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
- Department of MolecularCellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute Santa Barbara California
- Center for Collaborative BiotechnologyUniversity of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
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11
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Szumlinski KK, Coelho MA, Tran T, Stailey N, Lieberman D, Gabriella I, Swauncy I, Brewin LW, Ferdousian S. Who is HOT and who is LOT? Detailed characterization of prescription opioid-induced changes in behavior between 129P3/J and 129S1/SvlmJ mouse substrains. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12609. [PMID: 31489753 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Genetic factors are theorized to contribute to the substantial inter-individual variability in opioid abuse/addiction. To advance the behavioral genetics of prescription opioid abuse, our prior work identified the 129S1/SvlmJ (S1) and related 129P3/J (P3) mouse substrains, respectively, as low and high opioid-taking. Herein, we related our prior results to measures of sucrose reward/reinforcement, basal anxiety, opioid-induced place-conditioning, locomotor activity and Straub tail reaction, as well as behavioral and physiological signs of withdrawal. Substrains were also re-examined for higher-dose oxycodone and fentanyl intake under limited-access drinking procedures. S1 mice failed to acquire sucrose self-administration under various operant-conditioning procedures and exhibited lower sucrose intake in the home-cage. However, sucrose intake under limited-access procedures escalated in both substrains with repeated sucrose experience. S1 mice exhibited less spontaneous locomotor activity, as well as less opioid-induced locomotor activity and Straub tail reaction, than P3 mice and failed to exhibit an oxycodone-induced place-preference. The lack of conditioned behavior by S1 mice was unrelated to behavioral signs of withdrawal-induced negative affect or dependence severity, but might reflect high levels of basal anxiety-like behavior. Intriguingly, S1 and P3 mice initially exhibited equivalent oxycodone and fentanyl consumption in the home-cage; however opioid intake escalated only in P3 mice with repeated opioid experience. No sex differences were observed for any of our measures. These data provide additional evidence for robust differences in opioid addiction-related behaviors between P3 and S1 substrains and suggest that anxiety, learning, and/or motivational impairments might confound interpretation of operant- and place-conditioning studies employing the S1 substrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Michal A Coelho
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Tori Tran
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Nicholas Stailey
- Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Dylan Lieberman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Ivette Gabriella
- Department of Psychology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California
| | - Isaiah Swauncy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Lindsey W Brewin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Sami Ferdousian
- Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
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12
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Campbell RR, Domingo RD, Williams AR, Wroten MG, McGregor HA, Waltermire RS, Greentree DI, Goulding SP, Thompson AB, Lee KM, Quadir SG, Jimenez Chavez CL, Coelho MA, Gould AT, von Jonquieres G, Klugmann M, Worley PF, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Increased Alcohol-Drinking Induced by Manipulations of mGlu5 Phosphorylation within the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2745-2761. [PMID: 30737312 PMCID: PMC6445984 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1909-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is part of the limbic-hypothalamic system important for behavioral responses to stress, and glutamate transmission within this region has been implicated in the neurobiology of alcoholism. Herein, we used a combination of immunoblotting, neuropharmacological and transgenic procedures to investigate the role for metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) signaling within the BNST in excessive drinking. We discovered that mGlu5 signaling in the BNST is linked to excessive alcohol consumption in a manner distinct from behavioral or neuropharmacological endophenotypes that have been previously implicated as triggers for heavy drinking. Our studies demonstrate that, in male mice, a history of chronic binge alcohol-drinking elevates BNST levels of the mGlu5-scaffolding protein Homer2 and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in an adaptive response to limit alcohol consumption. Male and female transgenic mice expressing a point mutation of mGlu5 that cannot be phosphorylated by ERK exhibit excessive alcohol-drinking, despite greater behavioral signs of alcohol intoxication and reduced anxiety, and are insensitive to local manipulations of signaling in the BNST. These transgenic mice also show selective insensitivity to alcohol-aversion and increased novelty-seeking, which may be relevant to excessive drinking. Further, the insensitivity to alcohol-aversion exhibited by male mice can be mimicked by the local inhibition of ERK signaling within the BNST. Our findings elucidate a novel mGluR5-linked signaling state within BNST that plays a central and unanticipated role in excessive alcohol consumption.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is part of the limbic-hypothalamic system important for behavioral responses to stress and alcohol, and glutamate transmission within BNST is implicated in the neurobiology of alcoholism. The present study provides evidence that a history of excessive alcohol drinking increases signaling through the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) receptor within the BNST in an adaptive response to limit alcohol consumption. In particular, disruption of mGlu5 phosphorylation by extracellular signal-regulated kinase within this brain region induces excessive alcohol-drinking, which reflects a selective insensitivity to the aversive properties of alcohol intoxication. These data indicate that a specific signaling state of mGlu5 within BNST plays a central and unanticipated role in excessive alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne R Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Racquel D Domingo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Amy R Williams
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Melissa G Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Hadley A McGregor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Ryan S Waltermire
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Daniel I Greentree
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Scott P Goulding
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Andrew B Thompson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Kaziya M Lee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Sema G Quadir
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - C Leonardo Jimenez Chavez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Michal A Coelho
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Adam T Gould
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Georg von Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, Australia, and
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, Australia, and
| | - Paul F Worley
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660,
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13
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Ploense KL, Li X, Baker-Andresen D, Carr AE, Woodward N, Bagley J, Szumlinski KK, Bredy TW, Kippin TE. Prolonged-access to cocaine induces distinct Homer2 DNA methylation, hydroxymethylation, and transcriptional profiles in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex of Male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuropharmacology 2018; 143:299-305. [PMID: 30268522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cocaine administration induces many long-term structural and molecular changes in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and are known to underlie aspects of cocaine-seeking behavior. DNA methylation is a key long-lasting epigenetic determinant of gene expression and is implicated in neuroplasticity, however, the extent to which this epigenetic modification is involved in the neuroplasticity associated with drug addiction has received limited attention. Here, we examine the relation between DNA methylation and gene expression within the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) following limited cocaine self-administration (1 h/day), prolonged cocaine self-administration (6 h/day), and saline self-administration (1 h/day). Rats were fitted with intravenous catheters and allowed to lever press for saline or cocaine (0.25 mg/kg/0.1 mL infusion) in the different access conditions for 20 days. Prolonged-access rats exhibited escalation in cocaine intake over the course of training, while limited-access rats did not escalate cocaine intake. Additionally, limited-access and prolonged-access rats exhibited unique Homer2 epigenetic profiles and mRNA expression. In prolonged-access rats, Homer2 mRNA levels in the dmPFC were increased, which was accompanied by decreased DNA methylation and p300 binding within the Homer2 promoter. Limited-access animals exhibited decreased DNA methylation, decreased DNA hydroxymethylation, and increased p300 binding within the Homer2 promoter. These data indicate that distinct epigenetic profiles are induced by limited-versus prolonged-access self-administration conditions that contribute to transcriptional profiles and lend support to the notion that covalent modification of DNA is implicated in addiction-like changes in cocaine-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L Ploense
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Institute for Collaborative Biotechnology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Xiang Li
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Amanda E Carr
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Nick Woodward
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Jared Bagley
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Institute for Collaborative Biotechnology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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14
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Ploense KL, Vieira P, Bubalo L, Olivarria G, Carr AE, Szumlinski KK, Kippin TE. Contributions of prolonged contingent and non-contingent cocaine exposure to escalation of cocaine intake and glutamatergic gene expression. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1347-1359. [PMID: 29234834 PMCID: PMC5924572 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4798-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Similar to the pattern observed in people with substance abuse disorders, laboratory animals will exhibit escalation of cocaine intake when the drug is available over prolonged periods of time. Here, we investigated the contribution of behavioral contingency of cocaine administration on escalation of cocaine intake and gene expression in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in adult male rats. Rats were allowed to self-administer intravenous cocaine (0.25 mg/infusion) under either limited cocaine-(1 h/day), prolonged cocaine-(6 h/day), or limited cocaine-(1 h/day) plus yoked cocaine-access (5 h/day); a control group received access to saline (1 h/day). One day after the final self-administration session, the rats were euthanized and the dmPFC was removed for quantification of mRNA expression of critical glutamatergic signaling genes, Homer2, Grin1, and Dlg4, as these genes and brain region have been previously implicated in addiction, learning, and memory. All groups with cocaine-access showed escalated cocaine intake during the first 10 min of each daily session, and within the first 1 h of cocaine administration. Additionally, the limited-access + yoked group exhibited more non-reinforced lever responses during self-administration sessions than the other groups tested. Lastly, Homer2, Grin1, and Dlg4 mRNA were impacted by both duration and mode of cocaine exposure. Only prolonged-access rats exhibited increases in mRNA expression for Homer2, Grin1, and Dlg4 mRNA. Taken together, these findings indicate that both contingent and non-contingent "excessive" cocaine exposure supports escalation behavior, but the behavioral contingency of cocaine-access has distinct effects on the patterning of operant responsiveness and changes in mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L Ploense
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA.
| | - Philip Vieira
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University-Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, 90747, USA
| | - Lana Bubalo
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Gema Olivarria
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Amanda E Carr
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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15
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Zhu R, Bu Q, Fu D, Shao X, Jiang L, Guo W, Chen B, Liu B, Hu Z, Tian J, Zhao Y, Cen X. Toll-like receptor 3 modulates the behavioral effects of cocaine in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:93. [PMID: 29571298 PMCID: PMC5865345 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nucleus accumbens in the midbrain dopamine limbic system plays a key role in cocaine addiction. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important pattern-recognition receptors (PPRs) in the innate immune system that are also involved in drug dependence; however, the detailed mechanism is largely unknown. METHODS The present study was designed to investigate the potential role of TLR3 in cocaine addiction. Cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), locomotor activity, and self-administration were used to determine the effects of TLR3 in the rewarding properties of cocaine. Lentivirus-mediated re-expression of Tlr3 (LV-TLR3) was applied to determine if restoration of TLR3 expression in the NAc is sufficient to restore the cocaine effect in TLR3-/- mice. The protein levels of phospho-NF-κB p65, IKKβ, and p-IκBα both in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cocaine-induced CPP mice were detected by Western blot. RESULTS We showed that both TLR3 deficiency and intra-NAc injection of TLR3 inhibitors significantly attenuated cocaine-induced CPP, locomotor activity, and self-administration in mice. Importantly, the TLR3-/- mice that received intra-NAc injection of LV-TLR3 displayed significant increases in cocaine-induced CPP and locomotor activity. Finally, we found that TLR3 inhibitor reverted cocaine-induced upregulation of phospho-NF-κB p65, IKKβ, and p-IκBα. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results describe that TLR3 modulates cocaine-induced behaviors and provide further evidence supporting a role for central pro-inflammatory immune signaling in drug reward. We propose that TLR3 blockade could be a novel approach to treat cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiming Zhu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qian Bu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China.,Healthy Food Evaluation Research Center, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Light Industry, Textile and Food Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Dengqi Fu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xue Shao
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Linhong Jiang
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Guo
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China.,School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China
| | - Bo Chen
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bin Liu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhengtao Hu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jingwei Tian
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaobo Cen
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, #28 Gaopeng Street, High Technological Development Zone, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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16
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Szumlinski KK, Shin CB. Kinase interest you in treating incubated cocaine-craving? A hypothetical model for treatment intervention during protracted withdrawal from cocaine. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 17:e12440. [PMID: 29152855 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A diagnostic criterion for drug addiction, persistent drug-craving continues to be the most treatment-resistant aspect of addiction that maintains the chronic, relapsing, nature of this disease. Despite the high prevalence of psychomotor stimulant addiction, there currently exists no FDA-approved medication for craving reduction. In good part, this reflects our lack of understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of drug-craving. In humans, cue-elicited drug-craving is associated with the hyperexcitability of prefrontal cortical regions. Rodent models of cocaine addiction indicate that a history of excessive cocaine-taking impacts excitatory glutamate signaling within the prefrontal cortex to drive drug-seeking behavior during protracted withdrawal. This review summarizes evidence that the capacity of cocaine-associated cues to augment craving in highly drug-experienced rats relates to a withdrawal-dependent incubation of glutamate release within prelimbic cortex. We discuss how stimulation of mGlu1/5 receptors increases the activational state of both canonical and noncanonical intracellular signaling pathways and present a theoretical molecular model in which the activation of several kinase effectors, including protein kinase C, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) might lead to receptor desensitization to account for persistent cocaine-craving during protracted withdrawal. Finally, this review discusses the potential for existing, FDA-approved, pharmacotherapeutic agents that target kinase function as a novel approach to craving intervention in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - C B Shin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
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17
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Lee KM, Coelho MA, Sern KR, Szumlinski KK. Homer2 within the central nucleus of the amygdala modulates withdrawal-induced anxiety in a mouse model of binge-drinking. Neuropharmacology 2017; 128:448-459. [PMID: 29109058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A history of binge-drinking decreases protein expression of the glutamate-related scaffolding protein Homer2 within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), coinciding with behavioral signs of negative affect. To assess the functional relevance of this protein change for withdrawal-induced hyper-anxiety, adult (PND 56) and adolescent (PND 28) male C57BL/6J mice were administered an intra-CEA infusion of an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) carrying either cDNA to express Homer2 (H2-cDNA) or GFP as control. Mice underwent 14 days of binge-drinking under multi-bottle, limited-access conditions and were assayed for behavioral signs of negative affect during withdrawal using the light-dark box, marble burying, and forced swim tests (FST). Following behavioral testing, all animals experienced 5 days of drinking to evaluate the effects of prior alcohol experience and Homer2 manipulation on subsequent alcohol consumption. During protracted (4 weeks) withdrawal, adolescent alcohol-experienced GFP controls showed increased signs of negative affect across all 3 assays, compared to water-drinking GFP animals, and also showed elevated alcohol consumption during the subsequent drinking period. Homer2-cDNA infusion in adolescent-onset alcohol-drinking animals was anxiolytic and reduced subsequent alcohol consumption. Conversely, Homer2-cDNA was anxiogenic and increased drinking in water-drinking adolescents. Unfortunately, the data from adult-onset alcohol-drinking animals were confounded by low alcohol consumption and negligible behavioral signs of anxiety. Nevertheless, the present results provide novel cause-effect evidence supporting a role for CEA Homer2 in the regulation of both basal anxiety and the time-dependent intensification of negative affective states in individuals with a history of binge-drinking during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Lee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, 93106-9660 CA, USA
| | - M A Coelho
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, 93106-9660 CA, USA
| | - K R Sern
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, 93106-9660 CA, USA
| | - K K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, 93106-9660 CA, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, 93106-9625 CA, USA.
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18
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Datko MC, Hu JH, Williams M, Reyes CM, Lominac KD, von Jonquieres G, Klugmann M, Worley PF, Szumlinski KK. Behavioral and Neurochemical Phenotyping of Mice Incapable of Homer1a Induction. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:208. [PMID: 29163080 PMCID: PMC5672496 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immediate early and constitutively expressed products of the Homer1 gene regulate the functional assembly of post-synaptic density proteins at glutamatergic synapses to influence excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Earlier studies of Homer1 gene knock-out (KO) mice indicated active, but distinct, roles for IEG and constitutively expressed Homer1 gene products in regulating cognitive, emotional, motivational and sensorimotor processing, as well as behavioral and neurochemical sensitivity to cocaine. More recent characterization of transgenic mice engineered to prevent generation of the IEG form (a.k.a Homer1a KO) pose a critical role for Homer1a in cocaine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization of relevance to drug addiction and related neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we extend our characterization of the Homer1a KO mouse and report a modest pro-depressant phenotype, but no deleterious effects of the KO upon spatial learning/memory, prepulse inhibition, or cocaine-induced place-conditioning. As we reported previously, Homer1a KO mice did not develop cocaine-induced behavioral or neurochemical sensitization within the nucleus accumbens; however, virus-mediated Homer1a over-expression within the nucleus accumbens reversed the sensitization phenotype of KO mice. We also report several neurochemical abnormalities within the nucleus accumbens of Homer1a KO mice that include: elevated basal dopamine and reduced basal glutamate content, Group1 mGluR agonist-induced glutamate release and high K+-stimulated release of dopamine and glutamate within this region. Many of the neurochemical anomalies exhibited by Homer1a KO mice are recapitulated upon deletion of the entire Homer1 gene; however, Homer1 deletion did not affect NAC dopamine or alter K+-stimulated neurotransmitter release within this region. These data show that the selective deletion of Homer1a produces a behavioral and neurochemical phenotype that is distinguishable from that produced by deletion of the entire Homer1 gene. Moreover, the data indicate a specific role for Homer1a in regulating cocaine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization of potential relevance to the psychotogenic properties of this drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Datko
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jia-Hua Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Melanie Williams
- Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Cindy M Reyes
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Kevin D Lominac
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Georg von Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul F Worley
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular, Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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19
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Shao X, Tang Y, Long H, Gu H, Zhang J, Deng P, Zhao Y, Cen X. HMG-CoA synthase 2 drives brain metabolic reprogramming in cocaine exposure. Neuropharmacology 2017; 148:377-393. [PMID: 28987936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a high energy-consuming organ that typically utilizes glucose as the main energy source for cerebral activity. When glucose becomes scarce under conditions of stress, ketone bodies, such as β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone, become extremely important. Alterations in brain energy metabolism have been observed in psychostimulant abusers; however, the mode of brain metabolic programming in cocaine dependence remains largely unknown. Here, we profiled the metabolites and metabolic enzymes from brain nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice exposed to cocaine. We found that cocaine modified energy metabolism and markedly activated ketogenesis pathway in the NAc. The expression of HMG-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), a critical rate-limiting ketogenesis enzyme, was markedly up-regulated. After switching metabolic pathways from ketogenesis to glycolysis through activation of glucokinase, cocaine-evoked metabolic reprogramming regained homeostasis, and the cocaine effect was attenuated. Importantly, both the pharmacological and genetic inhibition of HMGCS2 significantly suppressed cocaine-induced ketogenesis and behavior. In conclusion, cocaine induces a remarkable energy reprogramming in the NAc, which is characterized by HMGCS2-driven ketogenesis. Such effect may facilitate adaptations to cocaine-induced energy stress in the brain. Our findings establish an important link between drug-induced energy reprogramming and cocaine effect, and may have implication in the treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Shao
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Yunxuan Tang
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Hailei Long
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Hui Gu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Pengchi Deng
- Analytical &Testing Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Xiaobo Cen
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
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20
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Goulding SP, Szumlinski KK, Contet C, MacCoss MJ, Wu CC. A mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of Homer2-interacting proteins in the mouse brain. J Proteomics 2017; 166:127-137. [PMID: 28728878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In the brain, the Homer protein family modulates excitatory signal transduction and receptor plasticity through interactions with other proteins in dendritic spines. Homer proteins are implicated in a variety of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and addiction. Since long Homers serve as scaffolding proteins, identifying their interacting partners is an important first step in understanding their biological function and could help to guide the design of new therapeutic strategies. The present study set out to document Homer2-interacting proteins in the mouse brain using a co-immunoprecipitation-based mass spectrometry approach where Homer2 knockout samples were used to filter out non-specific interactors. We found that in the mouse brain, Homer2 interacts with a limited subset of its previously reported interacting partners (3 out of 31). Importantly, we detected an additional 15 novel Homer2-interacting proteins, most of which are part of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor signaling pathway. These results corroborate the central role Homer2 plays in glutamatergic transmission and expand the network of proteins potentially contributing to the behavioral abnormalities associated with altered Homer2 expression. SIGNIFICANCE Long Homer proteins are scaffolding proteins that regulate signal transduction in neurons. Identifying their interacting partners is key to understanding their function. We used co-immunoprecipitation in combination with mass spectrometry to establish the first comprehensive list of Homer2-interacting partners in the mouse brain. The specificity of interactions was evaluated using Homer2 knockout brain tissue as a negative control. The set of proteins that we identified minimally overlaps with previously reported interacting partners of Homer2; however, we identified novel interactors that are part of a signaling cascade activated by glutamatergic transmission, which improves our mechanistic understanding of the role of Homer2 in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott P Goulding
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States; Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States.
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Candice Contet
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael J MacCoss
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christine C Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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21
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Miller BW, Wroten MG, Sacramento AD, Silva HE, Shin CB, Vieira PA, Ben-Shahar O, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Cocaine craving during protracted withdrawal requires PKCε priming within vmPFC. Addict Biol 2017; 22:629-639. [PMID: 26769453 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In individuals with a history of drug taking, the capacity of drug-associated cues to elicit indices of drug craving intensifies or incubates with the passage of time during drug abstinence. This incubation of cocaine craving, as well as difficulties with learning to suppress drug-seeking behavior during protracted withdrawal, are associated with a time-dependent deregulation of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) function. As the molecular bases for cocaine-related vmPFC deregulation remain elusive, the present study assayed the consequences of extended access to intravenous cocaine (6 hours/day; 0.25 mg/infusion for 10 day) on the activational state of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε), an enzyme highly implicated in drug-induced neuroplasticity. The opportunity to engage in cocaine seeking during cocaine abstinence time-dependently altered PKCε phosphorylation within vmPFC, with reduced and increased p-PKCε expression observed in early (3 days) and protracted (30 days) withdrawal, respectively. This effect was more robust within the ventromedial versus dorsomedial PFC, was not observed in comparable cocaine-experienced rats not tested for drug-seeking behavior and was distinct from the rise in phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase observed in cocaine-seeking rats. Further, the impact of inhibiting PKCε translocation within the vmPFC using TAT infusion proteins upon cue-elicited responding was determined and inhibition coinciding with the period of testing attenuated cocaine-seeking behavior, with an effect also apparent the next day. In contrast, inhibitor pretreatment prior to testing during early withdrawal was without effect. Thus, a history of excessive cocaine taking influences the cue reactivity of important intracellular signaling molecules within the vmPFC, with PKCε playing a critical role in the manifestation of cue-elicited cocaine seeking during protracted drug withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey W. Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Melissa G. Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Arianne D. Sacramento
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Hannah E. Silva
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Christina B. Shin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Philip A. Vieira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Osnat Ben-Shahar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Tod E. Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
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22
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Gao P, Limpens JHW, Spijker S, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Voorn P. Stable immediate early gene expression patterns in medial prefrontal cortex and striatum after long-term cocaine self-administration. Addict Biol 2017; 22:354-368. [PMID: 26598422 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The transition from casual to compulsive drug use is thought to occur as a consequence of repeated drug taking leading to neuroadaptive changes in brain circuitry involved in emotion and cognition. At the basis of such neuroadaptations lie changes in the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) implicated in transcriptional regulation, synaptic plasticity and intracellular signalling. However, little is known about how IEG expression patterns change during long-term drug self-administration. The present study, therefore, compares the effects of 10 and 60-day self-administration of cocaine and sucrose on the expression of 17 IEGs in brain regions implicated in addictive behaviour, i.e. dorsal striatum, ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Increased expression after cocaine self-administration was found for 6 IEGs in dorsal and ventral striatum (c-fos, Mkp1, Fosb/ΔFosb, Egr2, Egr4, and Arc) and 10 IEGs in mPFC (same 6 IEGs as in striatum, plus Bdnf, Homer1, Sgk1 and Rgs2). Five of these 10 IEGs (Egr2, Fosb/ΔFosb, Bdnf, Homer1 and Jun) and Trkb in mPFC were responsive to long-term sucrose self-administration. Importantly, no major differences were found between IEG expression patterns after 10 or 60 days of cocaine self-administration, except Fosb/ΔFosb in dorsal striatum and Egr2 in mPFC, whereas the amount of cocaine obtained per session was comparable for short-term and long-term self-administration. These steady changes in IEG expression are, therefore, associated with stable self-administration behaviour rather than the total amount of cocaine consumed. Thus, sustained impulses to IEG regulation during prolonged cocaine self-administration may evoke neuroplastic changes underlying compulsive drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Gao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | - Jules H. W. Limpens
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience; University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Sabine Spijker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Amsterdam; Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | - Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience; University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht the Netherlands
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Utrecht University; Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Pieter Voorn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam the Netherlands
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23
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Lee KM, Coelho MA, McGregor HA, Solton NR, Cohen M, Szumlinski KK. Adolescent Mice Are Resilient to Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety and Changes in Indices of Glutamate Function within the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:265. [PMID: 27917110 PMCID: PMC5114265 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Binge-drinking is the most prevalent form of alcohol abuse and while an early life history of binge-drinking is a significant risk factor for subsequent alcoholism and co-morbid affective disorders, relatively little is known regarding the biobehavioral impact of binge-drinking during the sensitive neurodevelopmental period of adolescence. In adult mice, a month-long history of binge-drinking elicits a hyper-glutamatergic state within the nucleus accumbens (Acb), coinciding with hyper-anxiety. Herein, we employed a murine model of binge-drinking to determine whether or not: (1) withdrawal-induced changes in brain and behavior differ between adult and adolescent bingers; and (2) increased behavioral signs of negative affect and changes in Acb expression of glutamate-related proteins would be apparent in adult mice with less chronic binge-drinking experience (14 days, approximating the duration of mouse adolescence). Adult and adolescent male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to a 14-day binge-drinking protocol (5, 10, 20 and 40% alcohol (v/v) for 2 h/day), while age-matched controls received water. At 24 h withdrawal, half of the animals from each group were assayed for negative affect, while tissue was sampled from the shell (AcbSh) and core (AcbC) subregions of the remaining mice for immunoblotting analyses. Adult bingers exhibited hyper-anxiety when tested for defensive marble burying. Additionally, adult bingers showed increased mGlu1, mGlu5, and GluN2b expression in the AcbSh and PKCε and CAMKII in the AcbC. Compared to adults, adolescent mice exhibited higher alcohol intake and blood alcohol concentrations (BACs); however, adolescent bingers did not show increased anxiety in the marble-burying test. Furthermore, adolescent bingers also failed to exhibit the same alcohol-induced changes in mGlu and kinase protein expression seen in the adult bingers. Irrespective of age, bingers exhibited behavioral hyperactivity in the forced swim test (FST) compared to water drinkers, which was paralleled by an increase in AcbC levels of GluN2b. Thus, a 2-week period of binge-drinking is sufficient to produce a hyper-anxious state and related increases in protein indices of Acb glutamate function. In contrast, adolescents were resilient to many of the effects of early alcohol withdrawal and this attenuated sensitivity to the negative consequences of binge drinking may facilitate greater alcohol intake in adolescent drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaziya M. Lee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Michal A. Coelho
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Hadley A. McGregor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Noah R. Solton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Matan Cohen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
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24
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Quadir SG, Santos JRBD, Campbell RR, Wroten MG, Singh N, Holloway JJ, Bal SK, Camarini R, Szumlinski KK. Homer2 regulates alcohol and stress cross-sensitization. Addict Biol 2016; 21:613-33. [PMID: 25916683 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
An interaction exists between stress and alcohol in the etiology and chronicity of alcohol use disorders, yet a knowledge gap exists regarding the neurobiological underpinnings of this interaction. In this regard, we employed an 11-day unpredictable, chronic, mild stress (UCMS) procedure to examine for stress-alcohol cross-sensitization of motor activity as well as alcohol consumption/preference and intoxication. We also employed immunoblotting to relate the expression of glutamate receptor-related proteins within subregions of the nucleus accumbens (NAC) to the manifestation of behavioral cross-sensitization. UCMS mice exhibited a greater locomotor response to an acute injection of 2 g/kg alcohol than unstressed controls and this cross-sensitization extended to alcohol intake (0-20 percent), as well as to the intoxicating and sedative properties of 3 and 5 g/kg alcohol, respectively. Regardless of prior alcohol injection (2 g/kg), UCMS mice exhibited elevated NAC shell levels of mGlu1α, GluN2b and Homer2, as well as lower phospholipase Cβ within this subregion. GluN2b levels were also lower within the NAC core of UCMS mice. The expression of stress-alcohol locomotor cross-sensitization was associated with lower mGlu1α within the NAC core and lower extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity within both NAC subregions. As Homer2 regulates alcohol sensitization, we assayed also for locomotor cross-sensitization in Homer2 wild-type (WT) and knock-out (KO) mice. WT mice exhibited a very robust cross-sensitization that was absent in KO animals. These results indicate that a history of mild stress renders an animal more sensitive to the psychomotor and rewarding properties of alcohol, which may depend on neuroplasticity within NAC glutamate transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sema G. Quadir
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | | | - Rianne R. Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Melissa G. Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Nimrita Singh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - John J. Holloway
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Sukhmani K. Bal
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology; Institute of Biomedical Sciences; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
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25
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Szumlinski KK, Wroten MG, Miller BW, Sacramento AD, Cohen M, Ben-Shahar O, Kippin TE. Cocaine Self-Administration Elevates GluN2B within dmPFC Mediating Heightened Cue-Elicited Operant Responding. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2. [PMID: 27478879 PMCID: PMC4962921 DOI: 10.21767/2471-853x.100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cue-elicited drug-craving correlates with hyperactivity within prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is theorized to result from dysregulated excitatory neurotransmission. The NMDA glutamate receptor is highly implicated in addiction-related neuroplasticity. As NMDA receptor function is regulated critically by its GluN2 subunits, herein, we assayed the relation between incubated cue-elicited cocaine-seeking following extended access to intravenous cocaine (6 h/d; 0.25 mg/infusion for 10 d) and the expression of GluN2A/B receptor subunits within PFC sub regions during early versus late withdrawal (respectively, 3 vs. 30 days). Cocaine-seeking rats exhibited elevated GluN2B expression within the dorsomedial aspect of the PFC (dmPFC); this effect was apparent at both 3 and 30 days withdrawal and occurred in cocaine-experienced rats, regardless of experiencing an extinction test or not. Thus, elevated dmPFC GluN2B expression appears to reflect a pharmacodynamic response to excessive cocaine intake that is independent of the duration of drug withdrawal or re-exposure to drug-taking context. The functional relevance of elevated dmPFC GluN2B expression for drug-seeking was assessed by the local infusion of the prototypical GluN2B-selective antagonist ifenprodil (1.0 µg/side). Ifenprodil did not alter cue-elicited responding in animals with a history of saline self-administration. In contrast, ifenprodil lowered cue-elicited cocaine-seeking, while potentiating cue-elicited sucrose-seeking. Thus, the effects of an intra-dmPFC ifenprodil infusion upon cue reactivity are reinforcer-specific, arguing in favor of targeting GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors as a pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral reactivity to drug-associated cues with the potential benefit of heightening the reinforcing properties of cues associated with non-drug primary rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Melissa G Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Bailey W Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Arianne D Sacramento
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Matan Cohen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Osnat Ben-Shahar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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26
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Lominac KD, Quadir SG, Barrett HM, McKenna CL, Schwartz LM, Ruiz PN, Wroten MG, Campbell RR, Miller BW, Holloway JJ, Travis KO, Rajasekar G, Maliniak D, Thompson AB, Urman LE, Kippin TE, Phillips TJ, Szumlinski KK. Prefrontal glutamate correlates of methamphetamine sensitization and preference. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 43:689-702. [PMID: 26742098 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely misused, highly addictive psychostimulant that elicits pronounced deficits in neurocognitive function related to hypo-functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Our understanding of how repeated MA impacts excitatory glutamatergic transmission within the PFC is limited, as is information about the relationship between PFC glutamate and addiction vulnerability/resiliency. In vivo microdialysis and immunoblotting studies characterized the effects of MA (ten injections of 2 mg/kg, i.p.) upon extracellular glutamate in C57BL/6J mice and upon glutamate receptor and transporter expression, within the medial PFC. Glutamatergic correlates of both genetic and idiopathic variance in MA preference/intake were determined through studies of high vs. low MA-drinking selectively bred mouse lines (MAHDR vs. MALDR, respectively) and inbred C57BL/6J mice exhibiting spontaneously divergent place-conditioning phenotypes. Repeated MA sensitized drug-induced glutamate release and lowered indices of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor expression in C57BL/6J mice, but did not alter basal extracellular glutamate content or total protein expression of Homer proteins, or metabotropic or α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptors. Elevated basal glutamate, blunted MA-induced glutamate release and ERK activation, as well as reduced protein expression of mGlu2/3 and Homer2a/b were all correlated biochemical traits of selection for high vs. low MA drinking, and Homer2a/b levels were inversely correlated with the motivational valence of MA in C57BL/6J mice. These data provide novel evidence that repeated, low-dose MA is sufficient to perturb pre- and post-synaptic aspects of glutamate transmission within the medial PFC and that glutamate anomalies within this region may contribute to both genetic and idiopathic variance in MA addiction vulnerability/resiliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Lominac
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Sema G Quadir
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Hannah M Barrett
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Courtney L McKenna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Lisa M Schwartz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Paige N Ruiz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Melissa G Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Rianne R Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Bailey W Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - John J Holloway
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Katherine O Travis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Ganesh Rajasekar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Dan Maliniak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Andrew B Thompson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Lawrence E Urman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Tod E Kippin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
| | - Tamara J Phillips
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA
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Glutamatergic and GABAergic susceptibility loci for heroin and cocaine addiction in subjects of African and European ancestry. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 64:118-23. [PMID: 26277529 PMCID: PMC4564302 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug addiction, a leading health problem, is a chronic brain disease with a significant genetic component. Animal models and clinical studies established the involvement of glutamate and GABA neurotransmission in drug addiction. This study was designed to assess if 258 variants in 27 genes of these systems contribute to the vulnerability to develop drug addiction. METHODS Four independent analyses were conducted in a sample of 1860 subjects divided according to drug of abuse (heroin or cocaine) and ancestry (African and European). RESULTS A total of 11 SNPs in eight genes showed nominally significant associations (P<0.01) with heroin and/or cocaine addiction in one or both ancestral groups but the associations did not survive correction for multiple testing. Of these SNPs, the GAD1 upstream SNP rs1978340 is potentially functional as it was shown to affect GABA concentrations in the cingulate cortex. In addition, SNPs GABRB3 rs7165224; DBI rs12613135; GAD1 SNPs rs2058725, rs1978340, rs2241164; and GRIN2A rs1650420 were previously reported in associations with drug addiction or related phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS The study supports the involvement of genetic variation in the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems in drug addiction with partial overlap in susceptibility loci between cocaine and heroin addiction.
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28
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Belin-Rauscent A, Fouyssac M, Bonci A, Belin D. How Preclinical Models Evolved to Resemble the Diagnostic Criteria of Drug Addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:39-46. [PMID: 25747744 PMCID: PMC4702261 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder that affects a subset of the individuals who take drugs. It is characterized by maladaptive drug-seeking habits that are maintained despite adverse consequences and intense drug craving. The pathophysiology and etiology of addiction is only partially understood despite extensive research because of the gap between current preclinical models of addiction and the clinical criteria of the disorder. This review presents a brief overview, based on selected methodologies, of how behavioral models have evolved over the last 50 years to the development of recent preclinical models of addiction that more closely mimic diagnostic criteria of addiction. It is hoped that these new models will increase our understanding of the complex neurobiological mechanisms whereby some individuals switch from controlled drug use to compulsive drug-seeking habits and relapse to these maladaptive habits. Additionally, by paving the way to bridge the gap that exists between biobehavioral research on addiction and the human situation, these models may provide new perspectives for the development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies for drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Belin-Rauscent
- Department of Pharmacology and Behavioural, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maxime Fouyssac
- Department of Pharmacology and Behavioural, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Antonello Bonci
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - David Belin
- Department of Pharmacology and Behavioural, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Homer2 within the nucleus accumbens core bidirectionally regulates alcohol intake by both P and Wistar rats. Alcohol 2015; 49:533-42. [PMID: 26254965 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
In murine models of alcoholism, the glutamate receptor scaffolding protein Homer2 bidirectionally regulates alcohol intake. Although chronic alcohol drinking increases Homer2 expression within the core subregion of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of alcohol-preferring P rats, the relevance of this neuroadaptation for alcohol intake has yet to be determined in rats. Thus, the present study employed an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) strategy to over-express and knock down the major rodent isoform Homer2b within the NAc of both P and outbred Wistar rats to examine for changes in alcohol preference and intake (0-30% v/v) under continuous-access procedures. The generalization of AAV effects to non-drug, palatable, sweet solutions was also determined in tests of sucrose (0-5% w/v) and saccharin (0-0.125% w/v) intake/preference. No net-flux in vivo microdialysis was conducted for glutamate in the NAc to relate Homer2-dependent changes in alcohol intake to extracellular levels of glutamate. Line differences were noted for sweet solution preference and intake, but these variables were not affected by intra-NAc AAV infusion in either line. In contrast, Homer2b over-expression elevated, while Homer2b knock-down reduced, alcohol intake in both lines, and this effect was greatest at the highest concentration. Strikingly, in P rats there was a direct association between changes in Homer2b expression and NAc extracellular glutamate levels, but this effect was not seen in Wistar rats. These data indicate that NAc Homer2b expression actively regulates alcohol consumption by rats, paralleling this previous observation in mice. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of mesocorticolimbic glutamate activity in alcohol abuse/dependence and suggest that Homer2b and/or its constituents may serve as molecular targets for the treatment of these disorders.
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30
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Context-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking is associated with unique molecular alterations in Fos-expressing dorsolateral striatum neurons. J Neurosci 2015; 35:5625-39. [PMID: 25855177 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4997-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Context-induced reinstatement of drug seeking is a well established animal model for assessing the neural mechanisms underlying context-induced drug relapse, a major factor in human drug addiction. Neural activity in striatum has previously been shown to contribute to context-induced reinstatement of heroin, cocaine, and alcohol seeking, but not yet for methamphetamine seeking. In this study, we found that context-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking increased expression of the neural activity marker Fos in dorsal but not ventral striatum. Reversible inactivation of neural activity in dorsolateral but not dorsomedial striatum using the GABA agonists muscimol and baclofen decreased context-induced reinstatement. Based on our previous findings that Fos-expressing neurons play a critical role in conditioned drug effects, we assessed whether context-induced reinstatement was associated with molecular alterations selectively induced within context-activated Fos-expressing neurons. We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate reinstatement-activated Fos-positive neurons from Fos-negative neurons in dorsal striatum and used quantitative PCR to assess gene expression within these two populations of neurons. Context-induced reinstatement was associated with increased expression of the immediate early genes Fos and FosB and the NMDA receptor subunit gene Grin2a in only Fos-positive neurons. RNAscope in situ hybridization confirmed that Grin2a, as well as Grin2b, expression were increased in only Fos-positive neurons from dorsolateral, but not dorsomedial, striatum. Our results demonstrate an important role of dorsolateral striatum in context-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking and that this reinstatement is associated with unique gene alterations in Fos-expressing neurons.
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31
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Marron Fernandez de Velasco E, Hearing M, Xia Z, Victoria NC, Luján R, Wickman K. Sex differences in GABA(B)R-GIRK signaling in layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons of the mouse prelimbic cortex. Neuropharmacology 2015; 95:353-60. [PMID: 25843643 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in multiple disorders characterized by clear sex differences, including schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and drug addiction. These sex differences likely represent underlying differences in connectivity and/or the balance of neuronal excitability within the mPFC. Recently, we demonstrated that signaling via the metabotropic γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABABR) and G protein-gated inwardly-rectifying K(+) (GIRK/Kir3) channels modulates the excitability of the key output neurons of the mPFC, the layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons. Here, we report a sex difference in the GABABR-GIRK signaling pathway in these neurons. Specifically, GABABR-dependent GIRK currents recorded in the prelimbic region of the mPFC were larger in adolescent male mice than in female counterparts. Interestingly, this sex difference was not observed in layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons of the adjacent infralimbic cortex, nor was it seen in young adult mice. The sex difference in GABABR-GIRK signaling is not attributable to different expression levels of signaling pathway components, but rather to a phosphorylation-dependent trafficking mechanism. Thus, sex differences related to some diseases associated with altered mPFC function may be explained in part by sex differences in GIRK-dependent signaling in mPFC pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Hearing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Zhilian Xia
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 6-120 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nicole C Victoria
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 6-120 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Rafael Luján
- IDINE, Departmento de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, C/Almansa 14, 02006, Albacete, Spain
| | - Kevin Wickman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 6-120 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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32
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Wagner KV, Hartmann J, Labermaier C, Häusl AS, Zhao G, Harbich D, Schmid B, Wang XD, Santarelli S, Kohl C, Gassen NC, Matosin N, Schieven M, Webhofer C, Turck CW, Lindemann L, Jaschke G, Wettstein JG, Rein T, Müller MB, Schmidt MV. Homer1/mGluR5 activity moderates vulnerability to chronic social stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:1222-33. [PMID: 25409593 PMCID: PMC4367467 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced psychiatric disorders, such as depression, have recently been linked to changes in glutamate transmission in the central nervous system. Glutamate signaling is mediated by a range of receptors, including metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). In particular, mGluR subtype 5 (mGluR5) is highly implicated in stress-induced psychopathology. The major scaffold protein Homer1 critically interacts with mGluR5 and has also been linked to several psychopathologies. Yet, the specific role of Homer1 in this context remains poorly understood. We used chronic social defeat stress as an established animal model of depression and investigated changes in transcription of Homer1a and Homer1b/c isoforms and functional coupling of Homer1 to mGluR5. Next, we investigated the consequences of Homer1 deletion, overexpression of Homer1a, and chronic administration of the mGluR5 inverse agonist CTEP (2-chloro-4-((2,5-dimethyl-1-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethynyl)pyridine) on the effects of chronic stress. In mice exposed to chronic stress, Homer1b/c, but not Homer1a, mRNA was upregulated and, accordingly, Homer1/mGluR5 coupling was disrupted. We found a marked hyperactivity behavior as well as a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in chronically stressed Homer1 knockout (KO) mice. Chronic administration of the selective and orally bioavailable mGluR5 inverse agonist, CTEP, was able to recover behavioral alterations induced by chronic stress, whereas overexpression of Homer1a in the hippocampus led to an increased vulnerability to chronic stress, reflected in an increased physiological response to stress as well as enhanced depression-like behavior. Overall, our results implicate the glutamatergic system in the emergence of stress-induced psychiatric disorders, and support the Homer1/mGluR5 complex as a target for the development of novel antidepressant agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus V Wagner
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Christiana Labermaier
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander S Häusl
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Gengjing Zhao
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniela Harbich
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Bianca Schmid
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sara Santarelli
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Kohl
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nils C Gassen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Natalie Matosin
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Marcel Schieven
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Webhofer
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph W Turck
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Lothar Lindemann
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases Translational Area (NORD), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg Jaschke
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Discovery Chemistry, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joseph G Wettstein
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases Translational Area (NORD), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Theo Rein
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany, Tel: +49 89 30622 519, Fax: +49 89 30622 610, E-mail:
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33
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Gould AT, Sacramento AD, Wroten MG, Miller BW, von Jonquieres G, Klugmann M, Ben-Shahar O, Szumlinski KK. Cocaine-elicited imbalances in ventromedial prefrontal cortex Homer1 versus Homer2 expression: implications for relapse. Addict Biol 2015; 20:148-57. [PMID: 24118426 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Withdrawal from a history of extended access to self-administered cocaine produces a time-dependent intensification of drug seeking, which might relate to a cocaine-induced imbalance in the relative expression of constitutively expressed Homer1 versus Homer2 isoforms within the ventromedial aspect of the prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Thus, we employed immunoblotting to examine the relation between cue-reinforced lever pressing at 3- versus 30-day withdrawal from a 10-day history of extended access (6 hours/day) to intravenous cocaine (0.25 mg/infusion) or saline (Sal6h), and the expression of Homer1b/c and Homer2a/b within the vmPFC versus the more dorsomedial aspect of this structure (dmPFC). Behavioral studies employed adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to reverse cocaine-elicited changes in the relative expression of Homer1 versus Homer2 isoforms and tested animals for cocaine prime-, and cue-induced responding following extinction training. Cocaine self-administration elevated both Homer1b/c and Homer2a/b levels within the vmPFC at 3-day withdrawal, and the rise in Homer2a/b persisted for at least 30 days. dmPFC Homer levels did not change as a function of self-administration history. Reversing the relative increase in Homer2 versus Homer1 expression via Homer1c overexpression or Homer2b knockdown failed to influence cue-reinforced lever pressing when animals were tested in a drug-free state, but both AAV treatments prevented cocaine-primed reinstatement of lever-pressing behavior. These data suggest that a cocaine-elicited imbalance in the relative expression of constitutively expressed Homer2 versus Homer1 within the vmPFC is necessary for the capacity of cocaine to reinstate drug-seeking behavior, posing drug-induced changes in vmPFC Homer expression as a molecular trigger contributing to drug-elicited relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T. Gould
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Arianne D. Sacramento
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Melissa G. Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Bailey W. Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Georg von Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility; School of Medical Sciences; University of New South Wales; Australia
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Translational Neuroscience Facility; School of Medical Sciences; University of New South Wales; Australia
| | - Osnat Ben-Shahar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute; University of California at Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA USA
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34
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Lominac KD, McKenna CL, Schwartz LM, Ruiz PN, Wroten MG, Miller BW, Holloway JJ, Travis KO, Rajasekar G, Maliniak D, Thompson AB, Urman LE, Phillips TJ, Szumlinski KK. Mesocorticolimbic monoamine correlates of methamphetamine sensitization and motivation. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:70. [PMID: 24847220 PMCID: PMC4019853 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive psychomotor stimulant, with life-time prevalence rates of abuse ranging from 5–10% world-wide. Yet, a paucity of research exists regarding MA addiction vulnerability/resiliency and neurobiological mediators of the transition to addiction that might occur upon repeated low-dose MA exposure, more characteristic of early drug use. As stimulant-elicited neuroplasticity within dopamine neurons innervating the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) is theorized as central for addiction-related behavioral anomalies, we used a multi-disciplinary research approach in mice to examine the interactions between sub-toxic MA dosing, motivation for MA and mesocorticolimbic monoamines. Biochemical studies of C57BL/6J (B6) mice revealed short- (1 day), as well as longer-term (21 days), changes in extracellular dopamine, DAT and/or D2 receptors during withdrawal from 10, once daily, 2 mg/kg MA injections. Follow-up biochemical studies conducted in mice selectively bred for high vs. low MA drinking (respectively, MAHDR vs. MALDR mice), provided novel support for anomalies in mesocorticolimbic dopamine as a correlate of genetic vulnerability to high MA intake. Finally, neuropharmacological targeting of NAC dopamine in MA-treated B6 mice demonstrated a bi-directional regulation of MA-induced place-conditioning. These results extend extant literature for MA neurotoxicity by demonstrating that even subchronic exposure to relatively low MA doses are sufficient to elicit relatively long-lasting changes in mesocorticolimbic dopamine and that drug-induced or idiopathic anomalies in mesocorticolimbic dopamine may underpin vulnerability/resiliency to MA addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Lominac
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Courtney L McKenna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Schwartz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Paige N Ruiz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Melissa G Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Bailey W Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - John J Holloway
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Katherine O Travis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Ganesh Rajasekar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Dan Maliniak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Andrew B Thompson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lawrence E Urman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Tamara J Phillips
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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35
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Blum K, Oscar-Berman M, Badgaiyan RD, Palomo T, Gold MS. Hypothesizing dopaminergic genetic antecedents in schizophrenia and substance seeking behavior. Med Hypotheses 2014; 82:606-14. [PMID: 24636783 PMCID: PMC4039414 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2014.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine system has been implicated in both substance use disorder (SUD) and schizophrenia. A recent meta-analysis suggests that A1 allele of the DRD2 gene imposes genetic risk for SUD, especially alcoholism and has been implicated in Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS). We hypothesize that dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene Taq1 A2 allele is associated with a subtype of non-SUD schizophrenics and as such may act as a putative protective agent against the development of addiction to alcohol or other drugs of abuse. Schizophrenics with SUD may be carriers of the DRD2 Taq1 A1 allele, and/or other RDS reward polymorphisms and have hypodopaminergic reward function. One plausible mechanism for alcohol seeking in schizophrenics with SUD, based on previous research, may be a deficiency of gamma type endorphins that has been linked to schizophrenic type psychosis. We also propose that alcohol seeking behavior in schizophrenics, may serve as a physiological self-healing process linked to the increased function of the gamma endorphins, thereby reducing abnormal dopaminergic activity at the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These hypotheses warrant further investigation and cautious interpretation. We, therefore, encourage research involving neuroimaging, genome wide association studies (GWAS), and epigenetic investigation into the relationship between neurogenetics and systems biology to unravel the role of dopamine in psychiatric illness and SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical Neurology, Path Research Foundation, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genomics, IGENE, LLC, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Human Integrated Services Unit University of Vermont Center for Clinical & Translational Science, College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA; Dominion Diagnostics, LLC, North Kingstown, RI, USA; Department of Addiction Research & Therapy, Malibu Beach Recovery Center, Malibu Beach, CA, USA; RD Solutions, LLC, Research Center, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Nutrigenomics, RD Solutions, LLC, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rajendra D Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Laboratory, SUNY-at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Palomo
- Unidad de Alcoholismo y Patología Dual, Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Av. de Córdoba s/n, Madrid E-28041, Spain
| | - Mark S Gold
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Lum EN, Campbell RR, Rostock C, Szumlinski KK. mGluR1 within the nucleus accumbens regulates alcohol intake in mice under limited-access conditions. Neuropharmacology 2014; 79:679-87. [PMID: 24467847 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Idiopathic or alcohol-induced increases in the expression and function of the Group1 metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 (mGluR1) within the extended amygdala are theorized to contribute to an individual's propensity to consume excessive amounts of alcohol. In the past, the detailed study of the functional relevance of mGluR1 for alcoholism-related behaviors in animal models was hampered by the poor solubility and non-specific side effects of available inhibitors; however, the advent of the highly potent and soluble mGluR1 negative allosteric modulator JNJ-16259685 [(3,4-Dihydro-2H-pyrano[2,3-b]quinolin-7-yl)-(cis-4-methoxycyclohexyl)-methanone] has instigated a re-examination of the role for this mGluR subtype in mediating the behavioral effects of alcohol. In this regard, systemic pretreatment with JNJ-16259685 was proven effective at reducing alcohol reinforcement and motivation for the drug. mGluR1 is a Gαq/o-coupled receptor, the stimulation of which activates phospholipase C (PLC). Thus, the present study investigated potential neuroanatomical substrates and intracellular molecules involved in the ability of JNJ-16259685 to reduce alcohol intake. JNJ-16259685 (0-30 pg/side) was infused into the shell subregion of the nucleus accumbens (NAC) of C57BL/6J and Homer2 knock-out (KO) mice, either alone or in combination with the PLC inhibitor U-73122 (5.8 fg/side). Alcohol intake was then assessed under Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) procedures. Intra-NAC JNJ-16259685 infusion dose-dependently reduced alcohol consumption by C57BL/6J mice; this effect was not additive with that produced by U-73122, nor was it present in Homer2 KO animals. These data provide novel evidence in support of a critical role for mGluR1-PLC signaling, scaffolded by Homer2, within the NAC shell, in maintaining alcohol consumption under limited access procedures. Such findings have relevance for both the pharmacotherapeutics and pharmacogenetics of risky alcohol drinking and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Lum
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Rianne R Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Charlotte Rostock
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA.
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Cozzoli DK, Courson J, Wroten MG, Greentree DI, Lum EN, Campbell RR, Thompson AB, Maliniak D, Worley PF, Jonquieres G, Klugmann M, Finn DA, Szumlinski KK. Binge alcohol drinking by mice requires intact group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling within the central nucleus of the amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:435-44. [PMID: 23966068 PMCID: PMC3870786 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite the fact that binge alcohol drinking (intake resulting in blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) 80 mg% within a 2-h period) is the most prevalent form of alcohol-use disorders (AUD), a large knowledge gap exists regarding how this form of AUD influences neural circuits mediating alcohol reinforcement. The present study employed integrative approaches to examine the functional relevance of binge drinking-induced changes in glutamate receptors, their associated scaffolding proteins and certain signaling molecules within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). A 30-day history of binge alcohol drinking (for example, 4-5 g kg(-1) per 2 h(-1)) elevated CeA levels of mGluR1, GluN2B, Homer2a/b and phospholipase C (PLC) β3, without significantly altering protein expression within the adjacent basolateral amygdala. An intra-CeA infusion of mGluR1, mGluR5 and PLC inhibitors all dose-dependently reduced binge intake, without influencing sucrose drinking. The effects of co-infusing mGluR1 and PLC inhibitors were additive, whereas those of coinhibiting mGluR5 and PLC were not, indicating that the efficacy of mGluR1 blockade to lower binge intake involves a pathway independent of PLC activation. The efficacy of mGluR1, mGluR5 and PLC inhibitors to reduce binge intake depended upon intact Homer2 expression as revealed through neuropharmacological studies of Homer2 null mutant mice. Collectively, these data indicate binge alcohol-induced increases in Group1 mGluR signaling within the CeA as a neuroadaptation maintaining excessive alcohol intake, which may contribute to the propensity to binge drink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra K Cozzoli
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Medical Research, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Justin Courson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Melissa G Wroten
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Daniel I Greentree
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Emily N Lum
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Rianne R Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Andrew B Thompson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Dan Maliniak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Paul F Worley
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Georg Jonquieres
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Deborah A Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Medical Research, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Karen K Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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Obara I, Goulding SP, Gould AT, Lominac KD, Hu JH, Zhang PW, von Jonquieres G, Dehoff M, Xiao B, Seeburg PH, Worley PF, Klugmann M, Szumlinski KK. Homers at the Interface between Reward and Pain. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:39. [PMID: 23761764 PMCID: PMC3675508 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain alters opioid reinforcement, presumably via neuroadaptations within ascending pain pathways interacting with the limbic system. Nerve injury increases expression of glutamate receptors and their associated Homer scaffolding proteins throughout the pain processing pathway. Homer proteins, and their associated glutamate receptors, regulate behavioral sensitivity to various addictive drugs. Thus, we investigated a potential role for Homers in the interactions between pain and drug reward in mice. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve elevated Homer1b/c and/or Homer2a/b expression within all mesolimbic structures examined and for the most part, the Homer increases coincided with elevated mGluR5, GluN2A/B, and the activational state of various down-stream kinases. Behaviorally, CCI mice showed pain hypersensitivity and a conditioned place-aversion (CPA) at a low heroin dose that supported conditioned place-preference (CPP) in naïve controls. Null mutations of Homer1a, Homer1, and Homer2, as well as transgenic disruption of mGluR5-Homer interactions, either attenuated or completely blocked low-dose heroin CPP, and none of the CCI mutant strains exhibited heroin-induced CPA. However, heroin CPP did not depend upon full Homer1c expression within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), as CPP occurred in controls infused locally with small hairpin RNA-Homer1c, although intra-NAC and/or intrathecal cDNA-Homer1c, -Homer1a, and -Homer2b infusions (to best mimic CCI's effects) were sufficient to blunt heroin CPP in uninjured mice. However, arguing against a simple role for CCI-induced increases in either spinal or NAC Homer expression for heroin CPA, cDNA infusion of our various cDNA constructs either did not affect (intrathecal) or attenuated (NAC) heroin CPA. Together, these data implicate increases in glutamate receptor/Homer/kinase activity within limbic structures, perhaps outside the NAC, as possibly critical for switching the incentive motivational properties of heroin following nerve injury, which has relevance for opioid psychopharmacology in individuals suffering from neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Obara
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, USA ; School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Queen's Campus, University of Durham Stockton on Tees, UK
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