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Mitchell CS, Campbell EJ, Fisher SD, Stanton LM, Burton NJ, Pearl AJ, McNally GP, Bains JS, Füzesi T, Graham BA, Manning EE, Dayas CV. Optogenetic recruitment of hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing-hormone (CRH) neurons reduces motivational drive. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:8. [PMID: 38191479 PMCID: PMC10774335 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Impaired motivational drive is a key feature of depression. Chronic stress is a known antecedent to the development of depression in humans and depressive-like states in animals. Whilst there is a clear relationship between stress and motivational drive, the mechanisms underpinning this association remain unclear. One hypothesis is that the endocrine system, via corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN; PVNCRH), initiates a hormonal cascade resulting in glucocorticoid release, and that excessive glucocorticoids change brain circuit function to produce depression-related symptoms. Another mostly unexplored hypothesis is that the direct activity of PVNCRH neurons and their input to other stress- and reward-related brain regions drives these behaviors. To further understand the direct involvement of PVNCRH neurons in motivation, we used optogenetic stimulation to activate these neurons 1 h/day for 5 consecutive days and showed increased acute stress-related behaviors and long-lasting deficits in the motivational drive for sucrose. This was associated with increased Fos-protein expression in the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Direct stimulation of the PVNCRH inputs in the LH produced a similar pattern of effects on sucrose motivation. Together, these data suggest that PVNCRH neuronal activity may be directly responsible for changes in motivational drive and that these behavioral changes may, in part, be driven by PVNCRH synaptic projections to the LH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S Mitchell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Simon D Fisher
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Laura M Stanton
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Burton
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Amy J Pearl
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Brett A Graham
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Elizabeth E Manning
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia.
| | - Christopher V Dayas
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia.
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2
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Zhu Z, Sternson SM. Neuroscience: Neurons that use a stress hormone increase eating. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R1296-R1298. [PMID: 38113842 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
A neuropeptide called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is known for stress signaling in the brain. A study now shows that a small population of CRH-expressing neurons situated in the lateral hypothalamus area are involved in sensing olfactory food cues and promoting food consumption in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenggang Zhu
- Department of Neurosciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Scott M Sternson
- Department of Neurosciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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3
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Galaj E, Barrera ED, Persaud K, Nisanov R, Vashisht A, Goldberg H, Patel N, Lenhard H, You ZB, Gardner EL, Ranaldi R. The Impact of Heroin Self-Administration and Environmental Enrichment on Ventral Tegmental CRF1 Receptor Expression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:828-839. [PMID: 37864842 PMCID: PMC10726410 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a strong link between chronic stress and vulnerability to drug abuse and addiction. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is central to the stress response that contributes to continuation and relapse to heroin abuse. Chronic heroin exposure can exacerbate CRF production, leading to dysregulation of the midbrain CRF-dopamine-glutamate interaction. METHODS Here we investigated the role of midbrain CRF1 receptors in heroin self-administration and assessed neuroplasticity in CRF1 receptor expression in key opioid addiction brain regions. RESULTS Infusions of antalarmin (a CRF1 receptor antagonist) into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dose dependently reduced heroin self-administration in rats but had no impact on food reinforcement or locomotor activity in rats. Using RNAscope in situ hybridization, we found that heroin, but not saline, self-administration upregulated CRF1 receptor mRNA in the VTA, particularly on dopamine neurons. AMPA GluR1 and dopamine reuptake transporter mRNA in VTA neurons were not affected by heroin. The western-blot assay showed that CRF1 receptors were upregulated in the VTA and nucleus accumbens. No significant changes in CRF1 protein expression were detected in the prefrontal cortex, insula, dorsal hippocampus, and substantia nigra. In addition, we found that 15 days of environmental enrichment implemented after heroin self-administration does not reverse upregulation of VTA CRF1 receptor mRNA but it downregulates dopamine transporter mRNA. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these data suggest that heroin self-administration requires stimulation of VTA CRF1 receptors and upregulates their expression in brain regions involved in reinforcement. Such long-lasting neuroadaptations may contribute to continuation of drug use and relapse due to stress exposure and are not easily reversed by EE exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA
| | - Eddy D Barrera
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Kirk Persaud
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Rudolf Nisanov
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Apoorva Vashisht
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Hindy Goldberg
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Nima Patel
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Hayley Lenhard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA
| | - Zhi-Bing You
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eliot L Gardner
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Ranaldi
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
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4
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Kooiker CL, Chen Y, Birnie MT, Baram TZ. Genetic Tagging Uncovers a Robust, Selective Activation of the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus by Adverse Experiences Early in Life. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:746-755. [PMID: 37881549 PMCID: PMC10593902 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Early-life adversity (ELA) is associated with increased risk for mood disorders, including depression and substance use disorders. These disorders are characterized by impaired reward-related behaviors, suggesting compromised operations of reward-related brain circuits. However, the brain regions engaged by ELA that mediate these enduring consequences of ELA remain largely unknown. In an animal model of ELA, we identified aberrant reward-seeking behaviors, a discovery that provides a framework for assessing the underlying circuits. Methods Employing TRAP2 (targeted recombination in active populations) male and female mice, in which neurons activated within a defined time frame are permanently tagged, we compared ELA- and control-reared mice, assessing the quantity and distribution of ELA-related neuronal activation. After validating the TRAP2 results using native c-Fos labeling, we defined the molecular identity of this population of activated neurons. Results We uniquely demonstrated that the TRAP2 system is feasible and efficacious in neonatal mice. Surprisingly, the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus was robustly and almost exclusively activated by ELA and was the only region distinguishing ELA from typical rearing. Remarkably, a large proportion of ELA-activated paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus neurons expressed CRF1, the receptor for the stress-related peptide, corticotropin-releasing hormone, but these neurons did not express corticotropin-releasing hormone itself. Conclusions The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, an important component of reward circuits that is known to encode remote, emotionally salient experiences to influence future motivated behaviors, encodes adverse experiences as remote as those occurring during the early postnatal period and is thus poised to contribute to the enduring deficits in reward-related behaviors consequent to ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L. Kooiker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Matthew T. Birnie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
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5
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Mantsch JR. Corticotropin releasing factor and drug seeking in substance use disorders: Preclinical evidence and translational limitations. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 4:100038. [PMID: 36531188 PMCID: PMC9757758 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), has been an enigmatic target for the development of medications aimed at treating stress-related disorders. Despite a large body of evidence from preclinical studies in rodents demonstrating that CRF receptor antagonists prevent stressor-induced drug seeking, medications targeting the CRF-R1 have failed in clinical trials. Here, we provide an overview of the abundant findings from preclinical rodent studies suggesting that CRF signaling is involved in stressor-induced relapse. The scientific literature that has defined the receptors, mechanisms and neurocircuits through which CRF contributes to stressor-induced reinstatement of drug seeking following self-administration and conditioned place preference in rodents is reviewed. Evidence that CRF signaling is recruited with repeated drug use in a manner that heightens susceptibility to stressor-induced drug seeking in rodents is presented. Factors that may determine the influence of CRF signaling in substance use disorders, including developmental windows, biological sex, and genetics are examined. Finally, we discuss the translational failure of medications targeting CRF signaling as interventions for substance use disorders and other stress-related conditions. We conclude that new perspectives and research directions are needed to unravel the mysterious role of CRF in substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Mantsch
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
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6
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Dunigan AI, Roseberry AG. Actions of feeding-related peptides on the mesolimbic dopamine system in regulation of natural and drug rewards. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100011. [PMID: 37220637 PMCID: PMC10201992 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine system is the primary neural circuit mediating motivation, reinforcement, and reward-related behavior. The activity of this system and multiple behaviors controlled by it are affected by changes in feeding and body weight, such as fasting, food restriction, or the development of obesity. Multiple different peptides and hormones that have been implicated in the control of feeding and body weight interact with the mesolimbic dopamine system to regulate many different dopamine-dependent, reward-related behaviors. In this review, we summarize the effects of a selected set of feeding-related peptides and hormones acting within the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens to alter feeding, as well as food, drug, and social reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I. Dunigan
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Aaron G. Roseberry
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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7
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Bloch S, Holleran KM, Kash TL, Vazey EM, Rinker JA, Lebonville CL, O'Hara K, Lopez MF, Jones SR, Grant KA, Becker HC, Mulholland PJ. Assessing negative affect in mice during abstinence from alcohol drinking: Limitations and future challenges. Alcohol 2022; 100:41-56. [PMID: 35181404 PMCID: PMC8983487 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is frequently comorbid with mood disorders, and these co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorders contribute to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence and relapse. In preclinical models, mice chronically exposed to alcohol display anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. However, in total, results from studies using voluntary alcohol-drinking paradigms show variable behavioral outcomes in assays measuring negative affective behaviors. Thus, the main objective of this review is to summarize the literature on the variability of negative affective behaviors in mice after chronic alcohol exposure. We compare the behavioral phenotypes that emerge during abstinence across different exposure models, including models of alcohol and stress interactions. The complicated outcomes from these studies highlight the difficulties of assessing negative affective behaviors in mouse models designed for the study of AUD. We discuss new behavioral assays, comprehensive platforms, and unbiased machine-learning algorithms as promising approaches to better understand the interaction between alcohol and negative affect in mice. New data-driven approaches in the understanding of mouse behavior hold promise for improving the identification of mechanisms, cell subtypes, and neurocircuits that mediate negative affect. In turn, improving our understanding of the neurobehavioral basis of alcohol-associated negative affect will provide a platform to test hypotheses in mouse models that aim to improve the development of more effective strategies for treating individuals with AUD and co-occurring mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solal Bloch
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Christina L Lebonville
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Krysten O'Hara
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, United States
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
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8
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Martin EL, Doncheck EM, Reichel CM, McRae-Clark AL. Consideration of sex as a biological variable in the translation of pharmacotherapy for stress-associated drug seeking. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100364. [PMID: 34345636 PMCID: PMC8319013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a frequent precipitant of relapse to drug use. Pharmacotherapies targeting a diverse array of neural systems have been assayed for efficacy in attenuating stress-induced drug-seeking in both rodents and in humans, but none have shown enough evidence of utility to warrant routine use in the clinic. We posit that a critical barrier in effective translation is inattention to sex as a biological variable at all phases of the research process. In this review, we detail the neurobiological systems implicated in stress-induced relapse to cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine, and cannabis, as well as the pharmacotherapies that have been used to target these systems in rodent models, the human laboratory, and in clinical trials. In each of these areas we additionally describe the potential influences of biological sex on outcomes, and how inattention to fundamental sex differences can lead to biases during drug development that contribute to the limited success of large clinical trials. Based on these observations, we determine that of the pharmacotherapies discussed only α2-adrenergic receptor agonists and oxytocin have a body of research with sufficient consideration of biological sex to warrant further clinical evaluation. Pharmacotherapies that target β-adrenergic receptors, other neuroactive peptides, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroactive steroids, and the endogenous opioid and cannabinoid systems require further assessment in females at the preclinical and human laboratory levels before progression to clinical trials can be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Carmela M Reichel
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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9
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Walker LC, Huckstep KL, Chen NA, Hand LJ, Lindsley CW, Langmead CJ, Lawrence AJ. Muscarinic M 4 and M 5 receptors in the ventral subiculum differentially modulate alcohol seeking versus consumption in male alcohol-preferring rats. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:3730-3746. [PMID: 33942300 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediate alcohol consumption and seeking in rats. While M4 and M5 receptors have recently been implicated to mediate these behaviours in the striatum, their role in other brain regions remain unknown. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ventral subiculum (vSub) both densely express M4 and M5 receptors and modulate alcohol-seeking, via their projections to the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In Indiana alcohol-preferring (iP) male rats, we examined Chrm4 (M4 ) and Chrm5 (M5 ) expression in the VTA and vSub following long-term alcohol consumption and abstinence using RT-qPCR. Using a combination of retrograde tracing and RNAscope, we examined the localisation of Chrm4 and Chrm5 on vSub cells that project to the AcbSh. Using selective allosteric modulators, we examined the functional role of M4 and M5 receptors within the vSub in alcohol consumption, context-induced alcohol-seeking, locomotor activity, and food/water consumption. KEY RESULTS Long-term alcohol and abstinence dysregulated the expression of genes for muscarinic receptors in the vSub, not in the VTA. Chrm4 was down-regulated following long-term alcohol and abstinence, while Chrm5 was up-regulated following long-term alcohol consumption. Consistent with these data, a positive allosteric modulator (VU0467154) of intra-vSub M4 receptors reduced context-induced alcohol-seeking, but not motivation for alcohol self-administration, while M5 receptor negative allosteric modulator (ML375) reduced initial motivation for alcohol self-administration, but not context-induced alcohol-seeking. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Collectively, our data highlight alcohol-induced cholinergic dysregulation in the vSub and distinct roles for M4 and M5 receptor allosteric modulators to reduce alcohol consumption or seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate L Huckstep
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicola A Chen
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lexi J Hand
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christopher J Langmead
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Caccamise A, Van Newenhizen E, Mantsch JR. Neurochemical mechanisms and neurocircuitry underlying the contribution of stress to cocaine seeking. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1697-1713. [PMID: 33660857 PMCID: PMC8941950 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In individuals with substance use disorders, stress is a critical determinant of relapse susceptibility. In some cases, stressors directly trigger cocaine use. In others, stressors interact with other stimuli to promote drug seeking, thereby setting the stage for relapse. Here, we review the mechanisms and neurocircuitry that mediate stress-triggered and stress-potentiated cocaine seeking. Stressors trigger cocaine seeking by activating noradrenergic projections originating in the lateral tegmentum that innervate the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to produce beta adrenergic receptor-dependent regulation of neurons that release corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) into the ventral tegmental area (VTA). CRF promotes the activation of VTA dopamine neurons that innervate the prelimbic prefrontal cortex resulting in D1 receptor-dependent excitation of a pathway to the nucleus accumbens core that mediates cocaine seeking. The stage-setting effects of stress require glucocorticoids, which exert rapid non-canonical effects at several sites within the mesocorticolimbic system. In the nucleus accumbens, corticosterone attenuates dopamine clearance via the organic cation transporter 3 to promote dopamine signaling. In the prelimbic cortex, corticosterone mobilizes the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which produces CB1 receptor-dependent reductions in inhibitory transmission, thereby increasing excitability of neurons which comprise output pathways responsible for cocaine seeking. Factors that influence the role of stress in cocaine seeking, including prior history of drug use, biological sex, chronic stress/co-morbid stress-related disorders, adolescence, social variables, and genetics are discussed. Better understanding when and how stress contributes to drug seeking should guide the development of more effective interventions, particularly for those whose drug use is stress related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Caccamise
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201
| | - Erik Van Newenhizen
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226
| | - John R. Mantsch
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226
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11
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Garcia-Keller C, Smiley C, Monforton C, Melton S, Kalivas PW, Gass J. N-Acetylcysteine treatment during acute stress prevents stress-induced augmentation of addictive drug use and relapse. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12798. [PMID: 31282090 PMCID: PMC7439767 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Converging epidemiological studies show that a life-threatening event increases the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which carries 30% to 50% comorbidity with substance use disorders (SUDs). Such comorbidity results in greater drug use and poorer treatment outcomes. There is overlap between the enduring synaptic neuroadaptations produced in nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) by acute restraint stress and cocaine self-administration. Because of these coincident neuroadaptations, we hypothesized that an odor paired with acute restraint stress would reinstate drug seeking and chose two mechanistically distinct drugs of abuse to test this hypothesis: alcohol and cocaine. Rats were trained to self-administer either drug beginning 3 weeks after odor pairing with acute stress or sham, and acute restraint stress increased alcohol consumption. Following context extinction training, the stress-paired odor reinstated both alcohol and cocaine seeking, while an unpaired odor had no effect. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) restores drug and stress-induced reductions in glial glutamate transporter-1 and has proven effective at reducing cue-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. We administered NAC for 5 days prior to reinstatement testing and abolished the capacity of the stress-paired odor to increase alcohol and cocaine seeking. Importantly, daily NAC given during or just following experiencing acute restraint stress also prevented the capacity of stress-paired odors to reinstate alcohol and cocaine seeking and prevented stress-induced deficits in behavioral flexibility. These data support using daily NAC treatment during or immediately after experiencing a strong acute stress to prevent subsequent conditioned stress responding, in particular relapse and cognitive deficits induced by stress-conditioned stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cora Smiley
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Cara Monforton
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Samantha Melton
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- These two authors are equivalent senior authors of this research
| | - Justin Gass
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- These two authors are equivalent senior authors of this research
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12
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Ahmed SH, Badiani A, Miczek KA, Müller CP. Non-pharmacological factors that determine drug use and addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 110:3-27. [PMID: 30179633 PMCID: PMC6395570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Based on their pharmacological properties, psychoactive drugs are supposed to take control of the natural reward system to finally drive compulsory drug seeking and consumption. However, psychoactive drugs are not used in an arbitrary way as pure pharmacological reinforcement would suggest, but rather in a highly specific manner depending on non-pharmacological factors. While pharmacological effects of psychoactive drugs are well studied, neurobiological mechanisms of non-pharmacological factors are less well understood. Here we review the emerging neurobiological mechanisms beyond pharmacological reinforcement which determine drug effects and use frequency. Important progress was made on the understanding of how the character of an environment and social stress determine drug self-administration. This is expanded by new evidence on how behavioral alternatives and opportunities for drug instrumentalization generate different patterns of drug choice. Emerging evidence suggests that the neurobiology of non-pharmacological factors strongly determines pharmacological and behavioral drug action and may, thus, give rise for an expanded system's approach of psychoactive drug use and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Aldo Badiani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Sussex Addiction Research and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, BN1 9RH Brighton, UK
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Psychology Department, Tufts University, Bacon Hall, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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13
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Gowrishankar R, Bruchas MR. Defining circuit-specific roles for G protein-coupled receptors in aversive learning. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2019; 26:146-156. [PMID: 32855999 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The encoding of negative valence in response to noxious stimuli/experiences and in turn, the behavioral representation of negative affective states is essential for survival. Recent advances in neuroscience have determined multiple sites of neural plasticity and key circuits of connectivity across these regions in mediating aversive behavior. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), owing to their neuromodulatory role, are especially important to refining our understanding of the molecular substrates involved in these circuits. In this review, we will focus on recent, contemporary findings that explore neural circuit-specific roles for neurotransmitter/peptide GPCRs and the importance of using novel approaches to illuminate the molecular mechanisms central to aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raajaram Gowrishankar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Department of Pharmacology, Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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14
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Farrell MR, Schoch H, Mahler SV. Modeling cocaine relapse in rodents: Behavioral considerations and circuit mechanisms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:33-47. [PMID: 29305936 PMCID: PMC6034989 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder, in that most addicted individuals who choose to quit taking drugs fail to maintain abstinence in the long-term. Relapse is especially likely when recovering addicts encounter risk factors like small "priming" doses of drug, stress, or drug-associated cues and locations. In rodents, these same factors reinstate cocaine seeking after a period of abstinence, and extensive preclinical work has used priming, stress, or cue reinstatement models to uncover brain circuits underlying cocaine reinstatement. Here, we review common rat models of cocaine relapse, and discuss how specific features of each model influence the neural circuits recruited during reinstated drug seeking. To illustrate this point, we highlight the surprisingly specific roles played by ventral pallidum subcircuits in cocaine seeking reinstated by either cocaine-associated cues, or cocaine itself. One goal of such studies is to identify, and eventually to reverse the specific circuit activity that underlies the inability of some humans to control their drug use. Based on preclinical findings, we posit that circuit activity in humans also differs based on the triggers that precipitate craving and relapse, and that associated neural responses could help predict the triggers most likely to elicit relapse in a given person. If so, examining circuit activity could facilitate diagnosis of subgroups of addicted people, allowing individualized treatment based on the most problematic risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell R Farrell
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, 1203 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, United States
| | - Hannah Schoch
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, 1203 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, United States
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, 1203 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, United States.
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15
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Dedic N, Chen A, Deussing JM. The CRF Family of Neuropeptides and their Receptors - Mediators of the Central Stress Response. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2018; 11:4-31. [PMID: 28260504 PMCID: PMC5930453 DOI: 10.2174/1874467210666170302104053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: Dysregulated stress neurocircuits, caused by genetic and/or environmental changes, underlie the development of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the major physiological activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and conse-quently a primary regulator of the mammalian stress response. Together with its three family members, urocortins (UCNs) 1, 2, and 3, CRF integrates the neuroendocrine, autonomic, metabolic and behavioral responses to stress by activating its cognate receptors CRFR1 and CRFR2. Objective: Here we review the past and current state of the CRF/CRFR field, ranging from pharmacologi-cal studies to genetic mouse models and virus-mediated manipulations. Results: Although it is well established that CRF/CRFR1 signaling mediates aversive responses, includ-ing anxiety and depression-like behaviors, a number of recent studies have challenged this viewpoint by revealing anxiolytic and appetitive properties of specific CRF/CRFR1 circuits. In contrast, the UCN/CRFR2 system is less well understood and may possibly also exert divergent functions on physiol-ogy and behavior depending on the brain region, underlying circuit, and/or experienced stress conditions. Conclusion: A plethora of available genetic tools, including conventional and conditional mouse mutants targeting CRF system components, has greatly advanced our understanding about the endogenous mecha-nisms underlying HPA system regulation and CRF/UCN-related neuronal circuits involved in stress-related behaviors. Yet, the detailed pathways and molecular mechanisms by which the CRF/UCN-system translates negative or positive stimuli into the final, integrated biological response are not completely un-derstood. The utilization of future complementary methodologies, such as cell-type specific Cre-driver lines, viral and optogenetic tools will help to further dissect the function of genetically defined CRF/UCN neurocircuits in the context of adaptive and maladaptive stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dedic
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
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16
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Greenwald MK. Anti-stress neuropharmacological mechanisms and targets for addiction treatment: A translational framework. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:84-104. [PMID: 30238023 PMCID: PMC6138948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related substance use is a major challenge for treating substance use disorders. This selective review focuses on emerging pharmacotherapies with potential for reducing stress-potentiated seeking and consumption of nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids (i.e., key phenotypes for the most commonly abused substances). I evaluate neuropharmacological mechanisms in experimental models of drug-maintenance and relapse, which translate more readily to individuals presenting for treatment (who have initiated and progressed). An affective/motivational systems model (three dimensions: valence, arousal, control) is mapped onto a systems biology of addiction approach for addressing this problem. Based on quality of evidence to date, promising first-tier neurochemical receptor targets include: noradrenergic (α1 and β antagonist, α2 agonist), kappa-opioid antagonist, nociceptin antagonist, orexin-1 antagonist, and endocannabinoid modulation (e.g., cannabidiol, FAAH inhibition); second-tier candidates may include corticotropin releasing factor-1 antagonists, serotonergic agents (e.g., 5-HT reuptake inhibitors, 5-HT3 antagonists), glutamatergic agents (e.g., mGluR2/3 agonist/positive allosteric modulator, mGluR5 antagonist/negative allosteric modulator), GABA-promoters (e.g., pregabalin, tiagabine), vasopressin 1b antagonist, NK-1 antagonist, and PPAR-γ agonist (e.g., pioglitazone). To address affective/motivational mechanisms of stress-related substance use, it may be advisable to combine agents with actions at complementary targets for greater efficacy but systematic studies are lacking except for interactions with the noradrenergic system. I note clinically-relevant factors that could mediate/moderate the efficacy of anti-stress therapeutics and identify research gaps that should be pursued. Finally, progress in developing anti-stress medications will depend on use of reliable CNS biomarkers to validate exposure-response relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. Greenwald
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
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Enhanced CRFR1-Dependent Regulation of a Ventral Tegmental Area to Prelimbic Cortex Projection Establishes Susceptibility to Stress-Induced Cocaine Seeking. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10657-10671. [PMID: 30355627 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2080-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of stress to trigger cocaine seeking in humans and rodents is variable and is determined by the amount and pattern of prior drug use. This study examined the role of a corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-regulated dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the prelimbic cortex in shock-induced cocaine seeking and its recruitment under self-administration conditions that establish relapse vulnerability. Male rats with a history of daily long-access (LgA; 14 × 6 h/d) but not short-access (ShA; 14 × 2 h/d) self-administration showed robust shock-induced cocaine seeking. This was associated with a heightened shock-induced prelimbic cortex Fos response and activation of cholera toxin b retro-labeled VTA neurons that project to the prelimbic cortex. Chemogenetic inhibition of this pathway using a dual virus intersectional hM4Di DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug) based approach prevented shock-induced cocaine seeking. Both shock-induced reinstatement and the prelimbic cortex Fos response were prevented by bilateral intra-VTA injections of the CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) antagonist, antalarmin. Moreover, pharmacological disconnection of the CRF-regulated dopaminergic projection to the prelimbic cortex by injection of antalarmin into the VTA in one hemisphere and the D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390, into the prelimbic cortex of the contralateral hemisphere prevented shock-induced cocaine seeking. Finally, LgA, but not ShA, cocaine self-administration resulted in increased VTA CRFR1 mRNA levels as measured using in situ hybridization. Altogether, these findings suggest that excessive cocaine use may establish susceptibility to stress-induced relapse by recruiting CRF regulation of a stressor-responsive mesocortical dopaminergic pathway.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding the neural pathways and mechanisms through which stress triggers relapse to cocaine use is critical for the development of more effective treatment approaches. Prior work has demonstrated a critical role for the neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in stress-induced cocaine seeking. Here we provide evidence that stress-induced reinstatement in a rat model of relapse is mediated by a CRF-regulated dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that activates dopamine D1 receptors in the prelimbic cortex. Moreover, we report that this pathway may be recruited as a result of daily cocaine self-administration under conditions of extended drug access/heightened drug intake, likely as a result of increased CRFR1 expression in the VTA, thereby promoting susceptibility to stress-induced cocaine seeking.
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18
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Deussing JM, Chen A. The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Family: Physiology of the Stress Response. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:2225-2286. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological stress response is responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. In this function, the brain activates adaptive responses that involve numerous neural circuits and effector molecules to adapt to the current and future demands. A maladaptive stress response has been linked to the etiology of a variety of disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, eating disorders, and the metabolic syndrome. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its relatives, the urocortins 1–3, in concert with their receptors (CRFR1, CRFR2), have emerged as central components of the physiological stress response. This central peptidergic system impinges on a broad spectrum of physiological processes that are the basis for successful adaptation and concomitantly integrate autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral stress responses. This review focuses on the physiology of CRF-related peptides and their cognate receptors with the aim of providing a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the field. We describe the major molecular features covering aspects of gene expression and regulation, structural properties, and molecular interactions, as well as mechanisms of signal transduction and their surveillance. In addition, we discuss the large body of published experimental studies focusing on state-of-the-art genetic approaches with high temporal and spatial precision, which collectively aimed to dissect the contribution of CRF-related ligands and receptors to different levels of the stress response. We discuss the controversies in the field and unravel knowledge gaps that might pave the way for future research directions and open up novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M. Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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19
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What does the Fos say? Using Fos-based approaches to understand the contribution of stress to substance use disorders. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:271-285. [PMID: 30450391 PMCID: PMC6234265 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research efforts, drug addiction persists as a largely unmet medical need. Perhaps the biggest challenge for treating addiction is the high rate of recidivism. While many factors can promote relapse in abstinent drug users, the contribution of stress is particularly problematic, as stress is uncontrollable and pervasive in the lives of those struggling with addiction. Thus, understanding the neurocircuitry that underlies the influence of stress on drug seeking is critical for guiding treatment. Preclinical research aimed at defining this neurocircuitry has, in part, relied upon the use of experimental approaches that allow visualization of cellular and circuit activity that corresponds to stressor-induced drug seeking in rodent relapse models. Much of what we have learned about the mechanisms that mediate stressor-induced relapse has been informed by studies that have used the expression of the immediate early gene, cfos, or its protein product, Fos, as post-mortem activity markers. In this review we provide an overview of the rodent models used to study stressor-induced relapse and briefly summarize what is known about the underlying neurocircuitry before describing the use of cfos/Fos-based approaches. In addition to reviewing findings obtained using this approach, its advantages and limitations are considered. Moreover, new techniques that leverage the expression profile of cfos to tag and manipulate cells based on their activity patterns are discussed. The intent of the review is to guide the interpretation of old and design of new studies that utilize cfos/Fos-based strategies to study the neurocircuitry that contributes to stress-related drug use.
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20
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Bernardi RE, Broccoli L, Hirth N, Justice NJ, Deussing JM, Hansson AC, Spanagel R. Dissociable Role of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Receptor Subtype 1 on Dopaminergic and D1 Dopaminoceptive Neurons in Cocaine Seeking Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:221. [PMID: 29180955 PMCID: PMC5693884 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of many drugs of abuse, including cocaine, to mediate reinforcement and drug-seeking behaviors is in part mediated by the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system, in which CRH exerts its effects partly via the CRH receptor subtype 1 (CRHR1) in extra-hypothalamic areas. In fact, CRHR1 expressed in regions of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system have been demonstrated to modify cocaine-induced DA release and alter cocaine-mediated behaviors. Here we examined the role of neuronal selectivity of CRHR1 within the mesolimbic system on cocaine-induced behaviors. First we used a transgenic mouse line expressing GFP under the control of the Crhr1 promoter for double fluorescence immunohistochemistry to demonstrate the cellular location of CRHR1 in both dopaminergic and D1 dopaminoceptive neurons. We then studied cocaine sensitization, self-administration, and reinstatement in inducible CRHR1 knockouts using the CreERT2/loxP in either dopamine transporter (DAT)-containing neurons (DAT-Crhr1) or dopamine receptor 1 (D1)-containing neurons (D1-Crhr1). For sensitization testing, mice received five daily injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg IP). For self-administration, mice received eight daily 2 h cocaine (0.5 mg/kg per infusion) self-administration sessions followed by extinction and reinstatement testing. There were no differences in the acute or sensitized locomotor response to cocaine in DAT-Crhr1 or D1-Crhr1 mice and their respective controls. Furthermore, both DAT-Crhr1 and D1-Crhr1 mice reliably self-administered cocaine at the level of controls. However, DAT-Crhr1 mice demonstrated a significant increase in cue-induced reinstatement relative to controls, whereas D1-Crhr1 mice demonstrated a significant decrease in cue-induced reinstatement relative to controls. These data demonstrate the involvement of CRHR1 in cue-induced reinstatement following cocaine self-administration, and implicate a bi-directional role of CRHR1 for cocaine craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick E Bernardi
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Laura Broccoli
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Natalie Hirth
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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21
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Walker LC, Kastman HE, Koeleman JA, Smith CM, Perry CJ, Krstew EV, Gundlach AL, Lawrence AJ. Nucleus incertus corticotrophin-releasing factor 1 receptor signalling regulates alcohol seeking in rats. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1641-1654. [PMID: 27440230 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing disorder, and stress is a key precipitant of relapse. The nucleus incertus (NI) is highly responsive to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and psychological stressors, receives a CRF innervation and expresses CRF1 and CRF2 receptor mRNA. Furthermore, the ascending NI relaxin-3 system is implicated in alcohol seeking in rats. Therefore, in alcohol-preferring rats, we examined the effect of bilateral injections into the NI of the CRF1 receptor antagonist, CP376395 or the CRF2 receptor antagonist, astressin-2B on yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. Using quantitative PCR analysis of NI micropunches, we assessed the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on gene expression profiles for components of the relaxin-3 and CRF systems. Bilateral intra-NI injections of CP376395 (500 ng/0.25 µl) attenuated yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. In contrast, intra-NI injections of astressin-2B (200 ng/0.25 µl) had no significant effect. In line with these data, CRF1 , but not CRF2 , receptor mRNA was upregulated in the NI following chronic ethanol intake. Relaxin family peptide 3 receptor mRNA was also increased in the NI following chronic ethanol. Our quantitative PCR analysis also identified CRF mRNA within the rat NI, and the existence of a newly identified population of CRF-containing neurons was subsequently confirmed by detection of CRF immunoreactivity in rat and mouse NI. These data suggest that NI neurons contribute to reinstatement of alcohol seeking, via an involvement of CRF1 signalling. Furthermore, chronic ethanol intake leads to neuroadaptive changes in CRF and relaxin-3 systems within rat NI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh C. Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Hanna E. Kastman
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Jan A. Koeleman
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies; University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam 1098 XH the Netherlands
| | - Craig M. Smith
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
- School of Medicine; Deakin University; Geelong Victoria 3216 Australia
| | - Christina J. Perry
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Elena V. Krstew
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Andrew L. Gundlach
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew J. Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Victoria 3010 Australia
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22
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Leonard MZ, DeBold JF, Miczek KA. Escalated cocaine "binges" in rats: enduring effects of social defeat stress or intra-VTA CRF. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2823-2836. [PMID: 28725939 PMCID: PMC5709163 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4677-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exposure to intermittent social defeat stress elicits corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) release into the VTA and induces long-term modulation of mesocorticolimbic dopamine activity in rats. These adaptations are associated with an intense cocaine-taking phenotype, which is prevented by CRF receptor antagonists. OBJECTIVE The present studies examine whether infusion of CRF into the VTA is sufficient to escalate cocaine-taking behavior, in the absence of social defeat experience. Additionally, we aimed to characterize changes in cocaine valuation that may promote binge-like cocaine intake. METHODS Male Long-Evans rats were microinjected into the VTA with CRF (50 or 500 ng/side), vehicle, or subjected to social defeat stress, intermittently over 10 days. Animals were then trained to self-administer IV cocaine (FR5). Economic demand for cocaine was evaluated using a within-session behavioral-economics threshold procedure, which was followed by a 24-h extended access "binge." RESULTS Rats that experienced social defeat or received intra-VTA CRF microinfusions (50 ng) both took significantly more cocaine than controls over the 24-h binge but showed distinct patterns of intake. Behavioral economic analysis revealed that individual demand for cocaine strongly predicts binge-like consumption, and demand elasticity (i.e. α) is augmented by intra-VTA CRF, but not by social defeat. The effects of CRF on cocaine-taking were also prevented by intra-VTA pretreatment with CP376395, but not Astressin-2B. CONCLUSIONS Repeated infusion of CRF into the VTA persistently alters cocaine valuation and intensifies binge-like drug intake in a CRF-R1-dependent manner. Conversely, the persistent pattern of cocaine bingeing induced by social defeat stress may suggest impaired inhibitory control, independent of reward valuation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph F DeBold
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
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23
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Stengel A, Taché YF. Activation of Brain Somatostatin Signaling Suppresses CRF Receptor-Mediated Stress Response. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:231. [PMID: 28487631 PMCID: PMC5403923 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the hallmark brain peptide triggering the response to stress and mediates—in addition to the stimulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—other hormonal, behavioral, autonomic and visceral components. Earlier reports indicate that somatostatin-28 injected intracerebroventricularly counteracts the acute stress-induced ACTH and catecholamine release. Mounting evidence now supports that activation of brain somatostatin signaling exerts a broader anti-stress effect by blunting the endocrine, autonomic, behavioral (with a focus on food intake) and visceral gastrointestinal motor responses through the involvement of distinct somatostatin receptor subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stengel
- Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Yvette F Taché
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, CURE Digestive Diseases Research Center, G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA.,VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care SystemLos Angeles, CA, USA
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24
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The CRF System as a Therapeutic Target for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2016; 37:1045-1054. [PMID: 27717506 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The major neuropsychiatric disorders are devastating illnesses that are only modestly responsive to treatment. Improving the treatment of these conditions will require innovative new strategies that depart from previously focused-on pharmacological mechanisms. Considerable preclinical and clinical data indicate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling as a target for new psychotropic drug development. Here we review alterations in the CRF system reported in several psychiatric conditions. We also examine the preclinical work that has dissected the distinctive roles of CRF receptors in specific circuits relevant to these disorders. We further describe the clinical trials of CRF1 receptor antagonists that have been conducted. Although these clinical trials have thus far met with limited therapeutic success, the unfolding complexity of the CRF system promises many future directions for studying its role in the etiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions.
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25
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Henckens MJAG, Deussing JM, Chen A. Region-specific roles of the corticotropin-releasing factor-urocortin system in stress. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:636-51. [PMID: 27586075 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-urocortin (UCN) system has been implicated in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety. It has been proposed that CRF-CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) signalling promotes the stress response and anxiety-like behaviour, whereas UCNs and CRFR2 activation mediate stress recovery and the restoration of homeostasis. Recent findings, however, provide clear evidence that this view is overly simplistic. Instead, a more complex picture has emerged that suggests that there are brain region- and cell type-specific effects of CRFR signalling that are influenced by the individual's prior experience and that shape molecular, cellular and ultimately behavioural responses to stressful challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
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26
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Chen NA, Ganella DE, Bathgate RAD, Chen A, Lawrence AJ, Kim JH. Knockdown of corticotropin-releasing factor 1 receptors in the ventral tegmental area enhances conditioned fear. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1533-1540. [PMID: 27397862 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) coordinates the physiological and behavioural responses to stress. CRF receptors are highly expressed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), an important region for motivated behaviour. Therefore, we examined the role of CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) in the VTA in conditioned fear, using a viral-mediated RNA interference approach. Following stereotaxic injection of a lentivirus that contained either shCRF-R1 or a control sequence, mice received tone-footshock pairings. Intra-VTA shCRF-R1 did not affect tone-elicited freezing during conditioning. Once conditioned fear was acquired, however, shCRF-R1 mice consistently showed stronger freezing to the tone even after extinction and reinstatement. These results implicate a novel role of VTA CRF-R1 in conditioned fear, and suggest how stress may modulate aversive learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola A Chen
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia; The Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia
| | - Despina E Ganella
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia; The Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia; The Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia; The Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia; The Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia.
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27
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Garcia-Keller C, Kupchik Y, Gipson CD, Brown RM, Spencer S, Bollati F, Esparza MA, Roberts-Wolfe D, Heinsbroek J, Bobadilla AC, Cancela LM, Kalivas PW. Glutamatergic mechanisms of comorbidity between acute stress and cocaine self-administration. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1063-9. [PMID: 26821978 PMCID: PMC4823171 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is substantial comorbidity between stress disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs), and acute stress augments the locomotor stimulant effect of cocaine in animal models. Here we endeavor to understand the neural underpinnings of comorbid stress disorders and drug use by determining whether the glutamatergic neuroadaptations that characterize cocaine self-administration are induced by acute stress. Rats were exposed to acute (2 h) immobilization stress, and 3 weeks later the nucleus accumbens core was examined for changes in glutamate transport, glutamate-mediated synaptic currents and dendritic spine morphology. We also determined whether acute stress potentiated the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Acute stress produced an enduring reduction in glutamate transport and potentiated excitatory synapses on medium spiny neurons. Acute stress also augmented the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Importantly, by restoring glutamate transport in the accumbens core with ceftriaxone the capacity of acute stress to augment the acquisition of cocaine self-administration was abolished. Similarly, ceftriaxone treatment prevented stress-induced potentiation of cocaine-induced locomotor activity. However, ceftriaxone did not reverse stress-induced synaptic potentiation, indicating that this effect of stress exposure did not underpin the increased acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Reversing acute stress-induced vulnerability to self-administer cocaine by normalizing glutamate transport poses a novel treatment possibility for reducing comorbid SUDs in stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Garcia-Keller
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA,IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Yonatan Kupchik
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 9112102
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Robyn M Brown
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sade Spencer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Flavia Bollati
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Maria A Esparza
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Doug Roberts-Wolfe
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jasper Heinsbroek
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Liliana M Cancela
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA,Corresponding Author. Peter Kalivas, Ph.D., , Phone: 843-876-2340, FAX: 843-792-4423
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Kastman HE, Blasiak A, Walker L, Siwiec M, Krstew EV, Gundlach AL, Lawrence AJ. Nucleus incertus Orexin2 receptors mediate alcohol seeking in rats. Neuropharmacology 2016; 110:82-91. [PMID: 27395787 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing disorder and a major global health problem. Stress is a key precipitant of relapse in human alcoholics and in animal models of alcohol seeking. The brainstem nucleus incertus (NI) contains a population of relaxin-3 neurons that are highly responsive to psychological stressors; and the ascending NI relaxin-3/RXFP3 signalling system is implicated in stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. The NI receives orexinergic innervation and expresses orexin1 (OX1) and orexin2 (OX2) receptor mRNA. In alcohol-preferring (iP) rats, we examined the impact of yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking on orexin neuronal activation, and the effect of bilateral injections into NI of the OX1 receptor antagonist, SB-334867 (n = 16) or the OX2 receptor antagonist, TCS-OX2-29 (n = 8) on stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. We also assessed the effects of orexin-A on NI neuronal activity and the involvement of OX1 and OX2 receptors using whole cell patch-clamp recordings in rat brain slices. Yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking activated orexin neurons. Bilateral NI injections of TCS-OX2-29 attenuated yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. In contrast, intra-NI injection of SB-334867 had no significant effect. In line with these data, orexin-A (600 nM) depolarized a majority of NI neurons recorded in coronal brain slices (18/28 cells), effects prevented by bath application of TCS-OX2-29 (10 μM), but not SB-334867 (10 μM). These data suggest an excitatory orexinergic input to NI contributes to yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking, predominantly via OX2 receptor signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna E Kastman
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Anna Blasiak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Leigh Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Marcin Siwiec
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Elena V Krstew
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew L Gundlach
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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29
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Burke AR, DeBold JF, Miczek KA. CRF type 1 receptor antagonism in ventral tegmental area of adolescent rats during social defeat: prevention of escalated cocaine self-administration in adulthood and behavioral adaptations during adolescence. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:2727-36. [PMID: 27251131 PMCID: PMC4919183 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4336-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Activation of corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptors (CRF-R1) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) represents a critical mechanism for social defeat to escalate cocaine self-administration in adult rats. OBJECTIVE We determined the acute effect of a CRF-R1 antagonist (CP376395) microinfusion into the VTA prior to each episode of social defeat in adolescent rats and determined whether this drug treatment could prevent later escalation of cocaine taking in early adulthood. METHODS Rats were implanted with bilateral cannulae aimed at the VTA 5 days before the first social defeat. Bilateral microinfusion of CP376395 (500 ng/side) or vehicle occurred 20 min before each episode of social defeat on postnatal days (P) 35, 38, 41, and 44. Behavior was quantified on P35 and P44. On P57, rats were implanted with intra-jugular catheters, and subsequent cocaine self-administration was analyzed. RESULTS CP376395-treated adolescent rats walked less and were attacked more slowly but were socially investigated more than vehicle-treated adolescents. Vehicle-treated rats showed increased social and decreased non-social exploration from P35 to P44, while CP376395-treated rats did not. Socially defeated, vehicle-treated adolescents took more cocaine during a 24-h unlimited access binge during adulthood. The latency to supine posture on P44 was inversely correlated with later cocaine self-administration during fixed and progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement and during the binge. CONCLUSIONS CP376395 treatment in adolescence blocked escalation of cocaine taking in adulthood. Episodes of social defeat stress engender neuroadaptation in CRF-R1s in the VTA that alter coping with social stress and that persist into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Burke
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Joseph F DeBold
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
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30
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Mantsch JR, Baker DA, Funk D, Lê AD, Shaham Y. Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Drug Seeking: 20 Years of Progress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:335-56. [PMID: 25976297 PMCID: PMC4677117 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 324] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In human addicts, drug relapse and craving are often provoked by stress. Since 1995, this clinical scenario has been studied using a rat model of stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. Here, we first discuss the generality of stress-induced reinstatement to different drugs of abuse, different stressors, and different behavioral procedures. We also discuss neuropharmacological mechanisms, and brain areas and circuits controlling stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. We conclude by discussing results from translational human laboratory studies and clinical trials that were inspired by results from rat studies on stress-induced reinstatement. Our main conclusions are (1) The phenomenon of stress-induced reinstatement, first shown with an intermittent footshock stressor in rats trained to self-administer heroin, generalizes to other abused drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and alcohol, and is also observed in the conditioned place preference model in rats and mice. This phenomenon, however, is stressor specific and not all stressors induce reinstatement of drug seeking. (2) Neuropharmacological studies indicate the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), noradrenaline, dopamine, glutamate, kappa/dynorphin, and several other peptide and neurotransmitter systems in stress-induced reinstatement. Neuropharmacology and circuitry studies indicate the involvement of CRF and noradrenaline transmission in bed nucleus of stria terminalis and central amygdala, and dopamine, CRF, kappa/dynorphin, and glutamate transmission in other components of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system (ventral tegmental area, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens). (3) Translational human laboratory studies and a recent clinical trial study show the efficacy of alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists in decreasing stress-induced drug craving and stress-induced initial heroin lapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - David A Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Douglas Funk
- Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anh D Lê
- Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Intramural Research Program, NIDA-NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
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31
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Chen A. Genetic Dissection of the Neuroendocrine and Behavioral Responses to Stressful Challenges. STEM CELLS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41603-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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32
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Blacktop JM, Vranjkovic O, Mayer M, Van Hoof M, Baker DA, Mantsch JR. Antagonism of GABA-B but not GABA-A receptors in the VTA prevents stress- and intra-VTA CRF-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking in rats. Neuropharmacology 2015; 102:197-206. [PMID: 26596556 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking requires corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) actions in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However the mechanisms through which CRF regulates VTA function to promote cocaine use are not fully understood. Here we examined the role of GABAergic neurotransmission in the VTA mediated by GABA-A or GABA-B receptors in the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking by a stressor, uncontrollable intermittent footshock, or bilateral intra-VTA administration of CRF. Rats underwent repeated daily cocaine self-administration (1.0 mg/kg/ing; 14 × 6 h/day) and extinction and were tested for reinstatement in response to footshock (0.5 mA, 0.5" duration, average every 40 s; range 10-70 s) or intra-VTA CRF delivery (500 ng/side) following intra-VTA pretreatment with the GABA-A antagonist, bicuculline, the GABA-B antagonist, 2-hydroxysaclofen or vehicle. Intra-VTA bicuculline (1, 10 or 20 ng/side) failed to block footshock- or CRF-induced cocaine seeking at either dose tested. By contrast, 2-hydroxysaclofen (0.2 or 2 μg/side) prevented reinstatement by both footshock and intra-VTA CRF at a concentration that failed to attenuate food-reinforced lever pressing (45 mg sucrose-sweetened pellets; FR4 schedule) in a separate group of rats. These data suggest that GABA-B receptor-dependent CRF actions in the VTA mediate stress-induced cocaine seeking and that GABA-B receptor antagonists may have utility for the management of stress-induced relapse in cocaine addicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Blacktop
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Oliver Vranjkovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Matthieu Mayer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Matthew Van Hoof
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - David A Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
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33
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Liu S, Borgland S. Regulation of the mesolimbic dopamine circuit by feeding peptides. Neuroscience 2015; 289:19-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 12/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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