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Kulbay M, Tuli N, Akdag A, Kahn Ali S, Qian CX. Optogenetics and Targeted Gene Therapy for Retinal Diseases: Unravelling the Fundamentals, Applications, and Future Perspectives. J Clin Med 2024; 13:4224. [PMID: 39064263 PMCID: PMC11277578 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13144224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
With a common aim of restoring physiological function of defective cells, optogenetics and targeted gene therapies have shown great clinical potential and novelty in the branch of personalized medicine and inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The basis of optogenetics aims to bypass defective photoreceptors by introducing opsins with light-sensing capabilities. In contrast, targeted gene therapies, such as methods based on CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference with noncoding RNAs (i.e., microRNA, small interfering RNA, short hairpin RNA), consists of inducing normal gene or protein expression into affected cells. Having partially leveraged the challenges limiting their prompt introduction into the clinical practice (i.e., engineering, cell or tissue delivery capabilities), it is crucial to deepen the fields of knowledge applied to optogenetics and targeted gene therapy. The aim of this in-depth and novel literature review is to explain the fundamentals and applications of optogenetics and targeted gene therapies, while providing decision-making arguments for ophthalmologists. First, we review the biomolecular principles and engineering steps involved in optogenetics and the targeted gene therapies mentioned above by bringing a focus on the specific vectors and molecules for cell signalization. The importance of vector choice and engineering methods are discussed. Second, we summarize the ongoing clinical trials and most recent discoveries for optogenetics and targeted gene therapies for IRDs. Finally, we then discuss the limits and current challenges of each novel therapy. We aim to provide for the first time scientific-based explanations for clinicians to justify the specificity of each therapy for one disease, which can help improve clinical decision-making tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kulbay
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3S5, Canada;
| | - Nicolas Tuli
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada (A.A.)
| | - Arjin Akdag
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada (A.A.)
| | - Shigufa Kahn Ali
- Centre de Recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada;
| | - Cynthia X. Qian
- Centre de Recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Centre Universitaire d’Ophtalmologie (CUO), Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
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2
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Cole RH, Moussawi K, Joffe ME. Opioid modulation of prefrontal cortex cells and circuits. Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109891. [PMID: 38417545 PMCID: PMC10939756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Several neurochemical systems converge in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to regulate cognitive and motivated behaviors. A rich network of endogenous opioid peptides and receptors spans multiple PFC cell types and circuits, and this extensive opioid system has emerged as a key substrate underlying reward, motivation, affective behaviors, and adaptations to stress. Here, we review the current evidence for dysregulated cortical opioid signaling in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. We begin by providing an introduction to the basic anatomy and function of the cortical opioid system, followed by a discussion of endogenous and exogenous opioid modulation of PFC function at the behavioral, cellular, and synaptic level. Finally, we highlight the therapeutic potential of endogenous opioid targets in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, synthesizing clinical reports of altered opioid peptide and receptor expression and activity in human patients and summarizing new developments in opioid-based medications. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca H Cole
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Khaled Moussawi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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3
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Chang X, Zhang H, Chen S. Neural circuits regulating visceral pain. Commun Biol 2024; 7:457. [PMID: 38615103 PMCID: PMC11016080 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06148-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Visceral hypersensitivity, a common clinical manifestation of irritable bowel syndrome, may contribute to the development of chronic visceral pain, which is a major challenge for both patients and health providers. Neural circuits in the brain encode, store, and transfer pain information across brain regions. In this review, we focus on the anterior cingulate cortex and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to highlight the progress in identifying the neural circuits involved in visceral pain. We also discuss several neural circuit mechanisms and emphasize the importance of cross-species, multiangle approaches and the identification of specific neurons in determining the neural circuits that control visceral pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chang
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Shaozong Chen
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
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4
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Jaeckel ER, Herrera YN, Schulz S, Birdsong WT. Chronic Morphine Induces Adaptations in Opioid Receptor Signaling in a Thalamostriatal Circuit That Are Location Dependent, Sex Specific, and Regulated by μ-Opioid Receptor Phosphorylation. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0293232023. [PMID: 37985179 PMCID: PMC10860620 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0293-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic opioid exposure induces tolerance to the pain-relieving effects of opioids but sensitization to some other effects. While the occurrence of these adaptations is well understood, the underlying cellular mechanisms are less clear. This study aimed to determine how chronic treatment with morphine, a prototypical opioid agonist, induced adaptations to subsequent morphine signaling in different subcellular contexts. Opioids acutely inhibit glutamatergic transmission from medial thalamic (MThal) inputs to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) via activity at μ-opioid receptors (MORs). MORs are present in somatic and presynaptic compartments of MThal neurons terminating in the DMS. We investigated the effects of chronic morphine treatment on subsequent morphine signaling at MThal-DMS synapses and MThal cell bodies in male and female mice. Surprisingly, chronic morphine treatment increased subsequent morphine inhibition of MThal-DMS synaptic transmission (morphine facilitation) in male, but not female, mice. At MThal cell bodies, chronic morphine treatment decreased subsequent morphine activation of potassium conductance (morphine tolerance) in both male and female mice. In knock-in mice expressing phosphorylation-deficient MORs, chronic morphine treatment resulted in tolerance to, rather than facilitation of, subsequent morphine signaling at MThal-DMS terminals, suggesting phosphorylation deficiency unmasks adaptations that counter the facilitation observed at presynaptic terminals in wild-type mice. The results of this study suggest that the effects of chronic morphine exposure are not ubiquitous; rather adaptations in MOR function may be determined by multiple factors such as subcellular receptor distribution, influence of local circuitry, and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Jaeckel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Yoani N Herrera
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - William T Birdsong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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5
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Wu K, Wang D, Wang Y, Tang P, Li X, Pan Y, Tao HW, Zhang LI, Liang F. Distinct circuits in anterior cingulate cortex encode safety assessment and mediate flexibility of fear reactions. Neuron 2023; 111:3650-3667.e6. [PMID: 37652003 PMCID: PMC10990237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Safety assessment and threat evaluation are crucial for animals to live and survive in the wilderness. However, neural circuits underlying safety assessment and their transformation to mediate flexibility of fear-induced defensive behaviors remain largely unknown. Here, we report that distinct neuronal populations in mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encode safety status by selectively responding under different contexts of auditory threats, with one preferably activated when an animal staysing in a self-deemed safe zone and another specifically activated in more dangerous environmental settings that led to escape behavior. The safety-responding neurons preferentially target the zona incerta (ZI), which suppresses the superior colliculus (SC) via its GABAergic projection, while the danger-responding neurons preferentially target and excite SC. These distinct corticofugal pathways antagonistically modulate SC responses to threat, resulting in context-dependent expression of fear reactions. Thus, ACC serves as a critical node to encode safety/danger assessment and mediate behavioral flexibility through differential top-down circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaibin Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Dijia Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Peiwen Tang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xuan Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yidi Pan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Feixue Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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6
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Salinsky LM, Merritt CR, Zamora JC, Giacomini JL, Anastasio NC, Cunningham KA. μ-opioid receptor agonists and psychedelics: pharmacological opportunities and challenges. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1239159. [PMID: 37886127 PMCID: PMC10598667 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1239159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid misuse and opioid-involved overdose deaths are a massive public health problem involving the intertwined misuse of prescription opioids for pain management with the emergence of extremely potent fentanyl derivatives, sold as standalone products or adulterants in counterfeit prescription opioids or heroin. The incidence of repeated opioid overdose events indicates a problematic use pattern consistent with the development of the medical condition of opioid use disorder (OUD). Prescription and illicit opioids reduce pain perception by activating µ-opioid receptors (MOR) localized to the central nervous system (CNS). Dysregulation of meso-corticolimbic circuitry that subserves reward and adaptive behaviors is fundamentally involved in the progressive behavioral changes that promote and are consequent to OUD. Although opioid-induced analgesia and the rewarding effects of abused opioids are primarily mediated through MOR activation, serotonin (5-HT) is an important contributor to the pharmacology of opioid abused drugs (including heroin and prescription opioids) and OUD. There is a recent resurgence of interest into psychedelic compounds that act primarily through the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT 2A R) as a new frontier in combatting such diseases (e.g., depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders). Emerging data suggest that the MOR and 5-HT2AR crosstalk at the cellular level and within key nodes of OUD circuitry, highlighting a major opportunity for novel pharmacological intervention for OUD. There is an important gap in the preclinical profiling of psychedelic 5-HT2AR agonists in OUD models. Further, as these molecules carry risks, additional analyses of the profiles of non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists and/or 5-HT2AR positive allosteric modulators may provide a new pathway for 5-HT2AR therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with utilizing 5-HT2AR agonists as therapeutics for OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Noelle C. Anastasio
- Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Kathryn A. Cunningham
- Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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7
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Mussetto V, Teuchmann HL, Heinke B, Trofimova L, Sandkühler J, Drdla-Schutting R, Hogri R. Opioids Induce Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in a Brainstem Pain Center in the Rat. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:1664-1680. [PMID: 37150382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are powerful analgesics commonly used in pain management. However, opioids can induce complex neuroadaptations, including synaptic plasticity, that ultimately drive severe side effects, such as pain hypersensitivity and strong aversion during prolonged administration or upon drug withdrawal, even following a single, brief administration. The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) in the brainstem plays a key role in pain and emotional processing; yet, the effects of opioids on synaptic plasticity in this area remain unexplored. Using patch-clamp recordings in acute brainstem slices from male and female Sprague Dawley rats, we demonstrate a concentration-dependent, bimodal effect of opioids on excitatory synaptic transmission in the LPBN. While a lower concentration of DAMGO (0.5 µM) induced a long-term depression of synaptic strength (low-DAMGO LTD), abrupt termination of a higher concentration (10 µM) induced a long-term potentiation (high-DAMGO LTP) in a subpopulation of cells. LTD involved a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent mechanism; in contrast, LTP required astrocytes and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activation. Selective optogenetic activation of spinal and periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) inputs to the LPBN revealed that, while LTD was expressed at all parabrachial synapses tested, LTP was restricted to spino-parabrachial synapses. Thus, we uncovered previously unknown forms of opioid-induced long-term plasticity in the parabrachial nucleus that potentially modulate some adverse effects of opioids. PERSPECTIVE: We found a previously unrecognized site of opioid-induced plasticity in the lateral parabrachial nucleus, a key region for pain and emotional processing. Unraveling opioid-induced adaptations in parabrachial function might facilitate the identification of new therapeutic measures for addressing adverse effects of opioid discontinuation such as hyperalgesia and aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Mussetto
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah Luise Teuchmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Heinke
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lidia Trofimova
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jürgen Sandkühler
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Drdla-Schutting
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roni Hogri
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Hervert EA, Birdsong W. The Endogenous Opioid Met-Enkephalin Modulates Thalamo-Cortical Excitation Inhibition Balance in a Medial Thalamus-Anterior Cingulate Cortex Circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.13.547220. [PMID: 37503144 PMCID: PMC10369945 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.13.547220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Activation of opioid receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) mediates aspects of analgesia induced by both exogenous and endogenous opioids. We have previously shown that opioid signaling disrupts both afferent excitatory and indirect inhibitory synaptic transmission from the medial thalamus (MThal) to the ACC, but the effects of endogenous opioids within this circuit remain poorly understood. The goal of the current study was to understand how the endogenous opioid, [Met]5-enkephalin (ME), modulates thalamic-driven excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission onto layer V pyramidal neurons in the ACC. We used pharmacology, brain slice electrophysiology and optogenetic stimulation to study opioid-mediated modulation of optically evoked glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission. The results revealed that ME inhibited both AMPA-mediated excitatory and GABA-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission in the ACC. However, inhibitory transmission was more potently inhibited than excitatory transmission by ME. This preferential reduction in GABAA-mediated synaptic transmission was primarily due to the activation of delta opioid receptors by ME and resulted in a net disinhibition of MThal-ACC excitatory pathway. These results suggest that moderate concentrations of ME can lead to net excitation of ACC circuitry and that analgesia may be associated with disinhibition rather than inhibition of ACC subcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William Birdsong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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9
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Neugebauer V, Presto P, Yakhnitsa V, Antenucci N, Mendoza B, Ji G. Pain-related cortico-limbic plasticity and opioid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109510. [PMID: 36944393 PMCID: PMC10585936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in cortico-limbic circuits has been implicated in pain persistence and pain modulation in clinical and preclinical studies. The amygdala has emerged as a key player in the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Reciprocal interactions with medial prefrontal cortical regions undergo changes in pain conditions. Other limbic and paralimbic regions have been implicated in pain modulation as well. The cortico-limbic system is rich in opioids and opioid receptors. Preclinical evidence for their pain modulatory effects in different regions of this highly interactive system, potentially opposing functions of different opioid receptors, and knowledge gaps will be described here. There is little information about cell type- and circuit-specific functions of opioid receptor subtypes related to pain processing and pain-related plasticity in the cortico-limbic system. The important role of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala in MOR-dependent analgesia is most well-established, and MOR actions in the mesolimbic system appear to be similar but remain to be determined in mPFC regions other than ACC. Evidence also suggests that KOR signaling generally serves opposing functions whereas DOR signaling in the ACC has similar, if not synergistic effects, to MOR. A unifying picture of pain-related neuronal mechanisms of opioid signaling in different elements of the cortico-limbic circuitry has yet to emerge. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nico Antenucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brianna Mendoza
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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10
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Rindner DJ, Lur G. Practical considerations in an era of multicolor optogenetics. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1160245. [PMID: 37293628 PMCID: PMC10244638 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1160245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to control synaptic communication is indispensable to modern neuroscience. Until recently, only single-pathway manipulations were possible due to limited availability of opsins activated by distinct wavelengths. However, extensive protein engineering and screening efforts have drastically expanded the optogenetic toolkit, ushering in an era of multicolor approaches for studying neural circuits. Nonetheless, opsins with truly discrete spectra are scarce. Experimenters must therefore take care to avoid unintended cross-activation of optogenetic tools (crosstalk). Here, we demonstrate the multidimensional nature of crosstalk in a single model synaptic pathway, testing stimulus wavelength, irradiance, duration, and opsin choice. We then propose a "lookup table" method for maximizing the dynamic range of opsin responses on an experiment-by-experiment basis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gyorgy Lur
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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11
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Hosseinzadeh Sahafi O, Sardari M, Alijanpour S, Rezayof A. Shared Mechanisms of GABAergic and Opioidergic Transmission Regulate Corticolimbic Reward Systems and Cognitive Aspects of Motivational Behaviors. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050815. [PMID: 37239287 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional interplay between the corticolimbic GABAergic and opioidergic systems plays a crucial role in regulating the reward system and cognitive aspects of motivational behaviors leading to the development of addictive behaviors and disorders. This review provides a summary of the shared mechanisms of GABAergic and opioidergic transmission, which modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the central hub of the reward mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of corticolimbic inhibitory neurons that express opioid receptors, which act as modulators of corticolimbic GABAergic transmission. The presence of opioid and GABA receptors on the same neurons allows for the modulation of the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which plays a key role in the reward mechanisms of the brain. This colocalization of receptors and their immunochemical markers can provide a comprehensive understanding for clinicians and researchers, revealing the neuronal circuits that contribute to the reward system. Moreover, this review highlights the importance of GABAergic transmission-induced neuroplasticity under the modulation of opioid receptors. It discusses their interactive role in reinforcement learning, network oscillation, aversive behaviors, and local feedback or feedforward inhibitions in reward mechanisms. Understanding the shared mechanisms of these systems may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for addiction, reward-related disorders, and drug-induced cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Maryam Sardari
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
| | - Sakineh Alijanpour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous 4971799151, Iran
| | - Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
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12
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Zamfir M, Sharif B, Locke S, Ehrlich AT, Ochandarena NE, Scherrer G, Ribeiro-da-Silva A, Kieffer BL, Séguéla P. Distinct and sex-specific expression of mu opioid receptors in anterior cingulate and somatosensory S1 cortical areas. Pain 2023; 164:703-716. [PMID: 35973045 PMCID: PMC10026835 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) processes the affective component of pain, whereas the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is involved in its sensory-discriminative component. Injection of morphine in the ACC has been reported to be analgesic, and endogenous opioids in this area are required for pain relief. Mu opioid receptors (MORs) are expressed in both ACC and S1; however, the identity of MOR-expressing cortical neurons remains unknown. Using the Oprm1-mCherry mouse line, we performed selective patch clamp recordings of MOR+ neurons, as well as immunohistochemistry with validated neuronal markers, to determine the identity and laminar distribution of MOR+ neurons in ACC and S1. We found that the electrophysiological signatures of MOR+ neurons differ significantly between these 2 areas, with interneuron-like firing patterns more frequent in ACC. While MOR+ somatostatin interneurons are more prominent in ACC, MOR+ excitatory neurons and MOR+ parvalbumin interneurons are more prominent in S1. Our results suggest a differential contribution of MOR-mediated modulation to ACC and S1 outputs. We also found that females had a greater density of MOR+ neurons compared with males in both areas. In summary, we conclude that MOR-dependent opioidergic signaling in the cortex displays sexual dimorphisms and likely evolved to meet the distinct function of pain-processing circuits in limbic and sensory cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Zamfir
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Behrang Sharif
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samantha Locke
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aliza T. Ehrlich
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Hospital Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole E. Ochandarena
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- UNC Neuroscience Center The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brigitte L. Kieffer
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Hospital Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Philippe Séguéla
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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13
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Lark ARS, Silva LK, Nass SR, Marone MG, Ohene-Nyako M, Ihrig TM, Marks WD, Yarotskyy V, Rory McQuiston A, Knapp PE, Hauser KF. Progressive Degeneration and Adaptive Excitability in Dopamine D1 and D2 Receptor-Expressing Striatal Neurons Exposed to HIV-1 Tat and Morphine. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:1105-1127. [PMID: 35695980 PMCID: PMC9976699 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01232-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The striatum is especially vulnerable to HIV-1 infection, with medium spiny neurons (MSNs) exhibiting marked synaptodendritic damage that can be exacerbated by opioid use disorder. Despite known structural defects in MSNs co-exposed to HIV-1 Tat and opioids, the pathophysiological sequelae of sustained HIV-1 exposure and acute comorbid effects of opioids on dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing (D1 and D2) MSNs are unknown. To address this question, Drd1-tdTomato- or Drd2-eGFP-expressing reporter and conditional HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice were interbred. MSNs in ex vivo slices from male mice were assessed by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and filled with biocytin to explore the functional and structural effects of progressive Tat and acute morphine exposure. Although the excitability of both D1 and D2 MSNs increased following 48 h of Tat exposure, D1 MSN firing rates decreased below control (Tat-) levels following 2 weeks and 1 month of Tat exposure but returned to control levels after 2 months. D2 neurons continued to display Tat-dependent increases in excitability at 2 weeks, but also returned to control levels following 1 and 2 months of Tat induction. Acute morphine exposure increased D1 MSN excitability irrespective of the duration of Tat exposure, while D2 MSNs were variably affected. That D1 and D2 MSN excitability would return to control levels was unexpected since both subpopulations displayed significant synaptodendritic degeneration and pathologic phospho-tau-Thr205 accumulation following 2 months of Tat induction. Thus, despite frank morphologic damage, D1 and D2 MSNs uniquely adapt to sustained Tat and acute morphine insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna R S Lark
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Lindsay K Silva
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- PPD®, Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richmond, VA, 23230-3323, USA
| | - Sara R Nass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Michael G Marone
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Michael Ohene-Nyako
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Therese M Ihrig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - William D Marks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Viktor Yarotskyy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - A Rory McQuiston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
| | - Pamela E Knapp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Kurt F Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA.
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
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14
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Coutens B, Ingram SL. Key differences in regulation of opioid receptors localized to presynaptic terminals compared to somas: Relevance for novel therapeutics. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109408. [PMID: 36584882 PMCID: PMC9898207 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Opioid receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that regulate activity within peripheral, subcortical and cortical circuits involved in pain, reward, and aversion processing. Opioid receptors are expressed in both presynaptic terminals where they inhibit neurotransmitter release and postsynaptic locations where they act to hyperpolarize neurons and reduce activity. Agonist activation of postsynaptic receptors at the plasma membrane signal via ion channels or cytoplasmic second messengers. Agonist binding initiates regulatory processes that include phosphorylation by G protein receptor kinases (GRKs) and recruitment of beta-arrestins that desensitize and internalize the receptors. Opioid receptors also couple to effectors from endosomes activating intracellular enzymes and kinases. In contrast to postsynaptic opioid receptors, receptors localized to presynaptic terminals are resistant to desensitization such that there is no loss of signaling in the continuous presence of opioids over the same time scale. Thus, the balance of opioid signaling in circuits expressing pre- and postsynaptic opioid receptors is shifted toward inhibition of presynaptic neurotransmitter release during continuous opioid exposure. The functional implication of this shift is not often acknowledged in behavioral studies. This review covers what is currently understood about regulation of opioid/nociceptin receptors, with an emphasis on opioid receptor signaling in pain and reward circuits. Importantly, the review covers regulation of presynaptic receptors and the critical gaps in understanding this area, as well as the opportunities to further understand opioid signaling in brain circuits. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Coutens
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Susan L Ingram
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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15
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Jaeckel ER, Arias-Hervert ER, Perez-Medina AL, Herrera YN, Schulz S, Birdsong WT. Chronic morphine induces adaptations in opioid receptor signaling in a thalamo-cortico-striatal circuit that are projection-dependent, sex-specific and regulated by mu opioid receptor phosphorylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.13.528057. [PMID: 36824766 PMCID: PMC9949156 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.13.528057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Chronic opioid exposure induces tolerance to the pain-relieving effects of opioids but sensitization to some other effects. While the occurrence of these adaptations is well-understood, the underlying cellular mechanisms are less clear. This study aimed to determine how chronic treatment with morphine, a prototypical opioid agonist, induced adaptations to subsequent morphine signaling in different subcellular contexts. Opioids acutely inhibit glutamatergic transmission from medial thalamic (MThal) inputs to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) via activity at μ-opioid receptors (MORs). MORs are present in somatic and presynaptic compartments of MThal neurons terminating in both the DMS and ACC. We investigated the effects of chronic morphine treatment on subsequent morphine signaling at MThal-DMS synapses, MThal-ACC synapses, and MThal cell bodies in male and female mice. Surprisingly, chronic morphine treatment increased subsequent morphine inhibition of MThal-DMS synaptic transmission (morphine facilitation), but decreased subsequent morphine inhibition of transmission at MThal-ACC synapses (morphine tolerance) in a sex-specific manner; these adaptations were present in male but not female mice. Additionally, these adaptations were not observed in knockin mice expressing phosphorylation-deficient MORs, suggesting a role of MOR phosphorylation in mediating both facilitation and tolerance to morphine within this circuit. The results of this study suggest that the effects of chronic morphine exposure are not ubiquitous; rather adaptations in MOR function may be determined by multiple factors such as subcellular receptor distribution, influence of local circuitry and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yoani N. Herrera
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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16
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Kupferschmidt DA, Cummings KA, Joffe ME, MacAskill A, Malik R, Sánchez-Bellot C, Tejeda HA, Yarur Castillo H. Prefrontal Interneurons: Populations, Pathways, and Plasticity Supporting Typical and Disordered Cognition in Rodent Models. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8468-8476. [PMID: 36351822 PMCID: PMC9665918 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1136-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory microcircuits regulate the gain and timing of pyramidal neuron firing, coordinate neural ensemble interactions, and gate local and long-range neural communication to support adaptive cognition and contextually tuned behavior. Accordingly, perturbations of PFC inhibitory microcircuits are thought to underlie dysregulated cognition and behavior in numerous psychiatric diseases and relevant animal models. This review, based on a Mini-Symposium presented at the 2022 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, highlights recent studies providing novel insights into: (1) discrete medial PFC (mPFC) interneuron populations in the mouse brain; (2) mPFC interneuron connections with, and regulation of, long-range mPFC afferents; and (3) circuit-specific plasticity of mPFC interneurons. The contributions of such populations, pathways, and plasticity to rodent cognition are discussed in the context of stress, reward, motivational conflict, and genetic mutations relevant to psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kupferschmidt
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233
| | - Max E Joffe
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Andrew MacAskill
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
| | - Ruchi Malik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94158
| | - Candela Sánchez-Bellot
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
- Laboratorio de Circuitos Neuronales, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain, 28002
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Hector Yarur Castillo
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
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17
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Sensitive genetically encoded sensors for population and subcellular imaging of cAMP in vivo. Nat Methods 2022; 19:1461-1471. [PMID: 36303019 PMCID: PMC10171401 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01646-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling integrates information from diverse G-protein-coupled receptors, such as neuromodulator receptors, to regulate pivotal biological processes in a cellular-specific and subcellular-specific manner. However, in vivo cellular-resolution imaging of cAMP dynamics remains challenging. Here, we screen existing genetically encoded cAMP sensors and further develop the best performer to derive three improved variants, called cAMPFIREs. Compared with their parental sensor, these sensors exhibit up to 10-fold increased sensitivity to cAMP and a cytosolic distribution. cAMPFIREs are compatible with both ratiometric and fluorescence lifetime imaging and can detect cAMP dynamics elicited by norepinephrine at physiologically relevant, nanomolar concentrations. Imaging of cAMPFIREs in awake mice reveals tonic levels of cAMP in cortical neurons that are associated with wakefulness, modulated by opioids, and differentially regulated across subcellular compartments. Furthermore, enforced locomotion elicits neuron-specific, bidirectional cAMP dynamics. cAMPFIREs also function in Drosophila. Overall, cAMPFIREs may have broad applicability for studying intracellular signaling in vivo.
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18
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Linders LE, Supiot LF, Du W, D’Angelo R, Adan RAH, Riga D, Meye FJ. Studying Synaptic Connectivity and Strength with Optogenetics and Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911612. [PMID: 36232917 PMCID: PMC9570045 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades the combination of brain slice patch clamp electrophysiology with optogenetic stimulation has proven to be a powerful approach to analyze the architecture of neural circuits and (experience-dependent) synaptic plasticity in such networks. Using this combination of methods, originally termed channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping (CRACM), a multitude of measures of synaptic functioning can be taken. The current review discusses their rationale, current applications in the field, and their associated caveats. Specifically, the review addresses: (1) How to assess the presence of synaptic connections, both in terms of ionotropic versus metabotropic receptor signaling, and in terms of mono- versus polysynaptic connectivity. (2) How to acquire and interpret measures for synaptic strength and function, like AMPAR/NMDAR, AMPAR rectification, paired-pulse ratio (PPR), coefficient of variance and input-specific quantal sizes. We also address how synaptic modulation by G protein-coupled receptors can be studied with pharmacological approaches and advanced technology. (3) Finally, we elaborate on advances on the use of dual color optogenetics in concurrent investigation of multiple synaptic pathways. Overall, with this review we seek to provide practical insights into the methods used to study neural circuits and synapses, by combining optogenetics and patch-clamp electrophysiology.
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19
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Zhang J, Song C, Dai J, Li L, Yang X, Chen Z. Mechanism of opioid addiction and its intervention therapy: Focusing on the reward circuitry and mu‐opioid receptor. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e148. [PMID: 35774845 PMCID: PMC9218544 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jia‐Jia Zhang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
| | - Chang‐Geng Song
- Department of Neurology Xijing Hospital The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
| | - Ji‐Min Dai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery Xijing Hospital The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
| | - Ling Li
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
| | - Xiang‐Min Yang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
| | - Zhi‐Nan Chen
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology The Fourth Military Medical University Xi'an China
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20
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Adhikary S, Williams JT. Cellular Tolerance Induced by Chronic Opioids in the Central Nervous System. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:937126. [PMID: 35837149 PMCID: PMC9273719 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.937126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioids are powerful analgesics that elicit acute antinociceptive effects through their action the mu opioid receptor (MOR). However opioids are ineffective for chronic pain management, in part because continuous activation of MORs induces adaptive changes at the receptor level and downstream signaling molecules. These adaptations include a decrease in receptor-effector coupling and changes to second messenger systems that can counteract the persistent activation of MORs by opioid agonists. Homeostatic regulation of MORs and downstream signaling cascades are viewed as precursors to developing tolerance. However, despite numerous studies identifying crucial mechanisms that contribute to opioid tolerance, no single regulatory mechanism that governs tolerance in at the cellular and systems level has been identified. Opioid tolerance is a multifaceted process that involves both individual neurons that contain MORs and neuronal circuits that undergo adaptations following continuous MOR activation. The most proximal event is the agonist/receptor interaction leading to acute cellular actions. This review discusses our understanding of mechanisms that mediate cellular tolerance after chronic opioid treatment that, in part, is mediated by agonist/receptor interaction acutely.
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21
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Casello SM, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Wang H, Awanyai M, Arenivar MA, Jaime-Lara RB, Bravo-Rivera H, Tejeda HA. Neuropeptide System Regulation of Prefrontal Cortex Circuitry: Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:796443. [PMID: 35800635 PMCID: PMC9255232 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.796443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides, a diverse class of signaling molecules in the nervous system, modulate various biological effects including membrane excitability, synaptic transmission and synaptogenesis, gene expression, and glial cell architecture and function. To date, most of what is known about neuropeptide action is limited to subcortical brain structures and tissue outside of the central nervous system. Thus, there is a knowledge gap in our understanding of neuropeptide function within cortical circuits. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of various families of neuropeptides and their cognate receptors that are expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically, we highlight dynorphin, enkephalin, corticotropin-releasing factor, cholecystokinin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and vasoactive intestinal peptide. Further, we review the implication of neuropeptide signaling in prefrontal cortical circuit function and use as potential therapeutic targets. Together, this review summarizes established knowledge and highlights unknowns of neuropeptide modulation of neural function underlying various biological effects while offering insights for future research. An increased emphasis in this area of study is necessary to elucidate basic principles of the diverse signaling molecules used in cortical circuits beyond fast excitatory and inhibitory transmitters as well as consider components of neuropeptide action in the PFC as a potential therapeutic target for neurological disorders. Therefore, this review not only sheds light on the importance of cortical neuropeptide studies, but also provides a comprehensive overview of neuropeptide action in the PFC to serve as a roadmap for future studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M. Casello
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Monique Awanyai
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Miguel A. Arenivar
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rosario B. Jaime-Lara
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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22
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Reeves KC, Shah N, Muñoz B, Atwood BK. Opioid Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Neurotransmission in the Brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:919773. [PMID: 35782382 PMCID: PMC9242007 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.919773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids mediate their effects via opioid receptors: mu, delta, and kappa. At the neuronal level, opioid receptors are generally inhibitory, presynaptically reducing neurotransmitter release and postsynaptically hyperpolarizing neurons. However, opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neuronal function and synaptic transmission is not uniform in expression pattern and mechanism across the brain. The localization of receptors within specific cell types and neurocircuits determine the effects that endogenous and exogenous opioids have on brain function. In this review we will explore the similarities and differences in opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neurotransmission across different brain regions. We discuss how future studies can consider potential cell-type, regional, and neural pathway-specific effects of opioid receptors in order to better understand how opioid receptors modulate brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin C. Reeves
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Nikhil Shah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Braulio Muñoz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Brady K. Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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23
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Zhou H, Zhang J, Shi H, Li P, Sui X, Wang Y, Wang L. Downregulation of CDK5 signaling in the dorsal striatum alters striatal microcircuits implicating the association of pathologies with circadian behavior in mice. Mol Brain 2022; 15:53. [PMID: 35701839 PMCID: PMC9195255 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of striatal dopaminergic circuits has been implicated in motor impairment and Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related circadian perturbations that may represent an early prodromal marker of PD. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) negatively regulates dopamine signaling in the striatum, suggesting a critical role of CDK5 in circadian and sleep disorders. Here, we used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing to produce mice with a dorsal striatum (DS)-specific knockdown (KD) of the Cdk5 gene (referred to as DS-CDK5-KD mice) and investigate its role in vivo. DS-CDK5-KD mice exhibited deficits in locomotor activity and disturbances in activity/rest behavior. Additionally, Golgi staining of neurons in the DS revealed that CDK5 deletion reduced dendrite length and the number of functional synapses, which was confirmed by significant downregulation of MAP2, PSD-95, and synapsin I. Correlated with this, DS-CDK5-KD mice displayed reduced phosphorylation of Tau at Thr181. Furthermore, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of green fluorescent protein-tagged neurons in the striatum of DS-CDK5-KD mice revealed a decreased frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents and altered excitatory/inhibitory synaptic balance. Notably, anterograde labeling showed that CDK5 KD in the DS disrupted long-range projections to the secondary motor cortex, dorsal and ventral thalamic nuclei, and basolateral amygdala, which are involved in the regulation of motor and circadian rhythms in the brain. These findings support a critical role of CDK5 in the DS in maintaining the striatal neural circuitry underlying motor functions and activity/rest associated with circadian rhythms that are perturbed in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Jingxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Huaxiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Xin Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Yongan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Liyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, 100850, China.
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Xu Y, Zhi F, Peng Y, Mao J, Balboni G, Yang Y, Xia Y. A Critical Role of δ-Opioid Receptor in Anti-microglial Activation Under Stress. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:847386. [PMID: 35663569 PMCID: PMC9160527 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.847386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are involved in the regulation of cerebral homeostasis and pathogen confrontation. There is, however, evidence showing that excessive microglia activation is implicated in various age-related cerebral diseases. On the other hand, microglia may experience complex changes of polarization in pathological insults, i.e., from a proinflammatory M1 to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, which differentially contribute to the exacerbation or alleviation of cellular injury. Remolding the phenotype of microglia or inhibiting the excessive activation of microglia seems to be a promising approach against neurodegenerative pathologies. Since δ-opioid receptor (DOR) activation exhibits a strong protective capacity against various neuronal injuries, especially the hypoxic/ischemic injury, we asked if the DOR-induced neuroprotection is associated with its effect on microglia. We explored this fundamental issue by using pharmacological and genetic approaches in the BV2 cell line, a general type of microglial cells. The results showed that DOR expression significantly increased in the activated microglial M2 phenotype, but slightly decreased in the microglial M1 phenotype. Hypoxia induced dual polarizations of BV2 cells with an increase in DOR expression. Administration of a specific DOR agonist, UFP-512, largely inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or hypoxia-induced microglial M1 activation and inflammatory activity with high concentrations of UFP-512 being effective to reverse the interleukin-4 (IL4)-induced microglial activation. Consistent with these observations, inhibiting DOR or knocking-down DOR promoted the excessive activation of BV2 cells in both M1 and M2 directions, while DOR overexpression did the opposite. Furthermore, the PC12 cells exposed to the conditioned medium of BV2 cells treated by UFP-512 grew better than those treated directly with UFP-512 under LPS or hypoxic insults. DOR inhibitor naltrindole could block all the effects of DOR activation. The medium from the BV2 cells with DOR knock-down decreased the viability of PC12 cell, while the medium from the BV2 cells with DOR overexpression largely attenuated LPS or hypoxic injury in the PC12 cells. These first data suggest a close linkage between DOR expression/function and microglial polarization and a critical role of DOR in negative controlling microglial activation. Our work provides a novel clue for new protective strategies against neurodegenerative pathophysiology through DOR-mediated regulation of microglia.
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Ma Y, Qin GH, Guo X, Hao N, Shi Y, Li HF, Zhao X, Li JG, Zhang C, Zhang Y. Activation of δ-opioid receptors in anterior cingulate cortex alleviates affective pain in rats. Neuroscience 2022; 494:152-166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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Linagliptin, a Selective Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor, Reduces Physical and Behavioral Effects of Morphine Withdrawal. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27082478. [PMID: 35458676 PMCID: PMC9028142 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27082478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Recent data indicate that receptors for GLP-1 peptide are involved in the activity of the mesolimbic system. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of the selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, linagliptin, on morphine dependence in mice. (2) Methods: Morphine dependence in mice was obtained by administration of increasing doses of morphine for eight consecutive days, twice a day. On the 9th day of the experiment, the naloxone-induced (2 mg/kg, ip) morphine withdrawal signs (jumping) were assessed. Moreover, behavioral effects of short-term (60 h after morphine discontinuation) and long-term (14 days after morphine discontinuation) morphine withdrawal were observed. In terms of behavioral effects, the depressive effect in the forced swim test and anxiety in the elevated plus maze test were investigated. Locomotor activity of mice was also studied. (3) Results: The administration of linagliptin (10 and 20 mg/kg, ip) for 8 consecutive days before morphine injections significantly diminished the number of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal signs (jumping) in mice. In addition, the cessation of morphine administration induced depressive behavior in mice which were observed during short- and long-term morphine withdrawal. Linagliptin administered during morphine withdrawal significantly reduced the depressive behavior in studied mice. Furthermore, the short-term morphine withdrawal evoked anxiety which also was reduced by linagliptin in mice. (4) Conclusions: The present study reveals that GLP-1 receptors are involved in morphine dependence. What is more, linagliptin might be a valuable drug in attenuating the physical symptoms of morphine dependence. It might be also a useful drug in reducing emotional disturbances which may develop during the morphine withdrawal period.
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Lubejko ST, Graham RD, Livrizzi G, Schaefer R, Banghart MR, Creed MC. The role of endogenous opioid neuropeptides in neurostimulation-driven analgesia. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1044686. [PMID: 36591324 PMCID: PMC9794630 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1044686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the prevalence of chronic pain worldwide, there is an urgent need to improve pain management strategies. While opioid drugs have long been used to treat chronic pain, their use is severely limited by adverse effects and abuse liability. Neurostimulation techniques have emerged as a promising option for chronic pain that is refractory to other treatments. While different neurostimulation strategies have been applied to many neural structures implicated in pain processing, there is variability in efficacy between patients, underscoring the need to optimize neurostimulation techniques for use in pain management. This optimization requires a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurostimulation-induced pain relief. Here, we discuss the most commonly used neurostimulation techniques for treating chronic pain. We present evidence that neurostimulation-induced analgesia is in part driven by the release of endogenous opioids and that this endogenous opioid release is a common endpoint between different methods of neurostimulation. Finally, we introduce technological and clinical innovations that are being explored to optimize neurostimulation techniques for the treatment of pain, including multidisciplinary efforts between neuroscience research and clinical treatment that may refine the efficacy of neurostimulation based on its underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan T. Lubejko
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Robert D. Graham
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Center, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Giulia Livrizzi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Robert Schaefer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Center, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Matthew R. Banghart
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Matthew R. Banghart,
| | - Meaghan C. Creed
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Center, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Meaghan C. Creed,
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Mercer Lindsay N, Chen C, Gilam G, Mackey S, Scherrer G. Brain circuits for pain and its treatment. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj7360. [PMID: 34757810 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj7360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Mercer Lindsay
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Biology, CNC Program, Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chong Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sean Mackey
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,New York Stem Cell Foundation-Robertson Investigator, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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29
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Reiss D, Maurin H, Audouard E, Martínez-Navarro M, Xue Y, Herault Y, Maldonado R, Cabañero D, Gaveriaux-Ruff C. Delta Opioid Receptor in Astrocytes Contributes to Neuropathic Cold Pain and Analgesic Tolerance in Female Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:745178. [PMID: 34602984 PMCID: PMC8483180 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.745178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The delta opioid receptor (DOR) contributes to pain control, and a major challenge is the identification of DOR populations that control pain, analgesia, and tolerance. Astrocytes are known as important cells in the pathophysiology of chronic pain, and many studies report an increased prevalence of pain in women. However, the implication of astrocytic DOR in neuropathic pain and analgesia, as well as the influence of sex in this receptor activity, remains unknown. Experimental Approach: We developed a novel conditional knockout (cKO) mouse line wherein DOR is deleted in astrocytes (named GFAP-DOR-KO), and investigated neuropathic mechanical allodynia as well as analgesia and analgesic tolerance in mutant male and female mice. Neuropathic cold allodynia was also characterized in mice of both sexes lacking DOR either in astrocytes or constitutively. Results: Neuropathic mechanical allodynia was similar in GFAP-DOR-KO and floxed DOR control mice, and the DOR agonist SNC80 produced analgesia in mutant mice of both sexes. Interestingly, analgesic tolerance developed in cKO males and was abolished in cKO females. Cold neuropathic allodynia was reduced in mice with decreased DOR in astrocytes. By contrast, cold allodynia was exacerbated in full DOR KO females. Conclusions: These findings show that astrocytic DOR has a prominent role in promoting cold allodynia and analgesic tolerance in females, while overall DOR activity was protective. Altogether this suggests that endogenous- and exogenous-mediated DOR activity in astrocytes worsens neuropathic allodynia while DOR activity in other cells attenuates this form of pain. In conclusion, our results show a sex-specific implication of astrocytic DOR in neuropathic pain and analgesic tolerance. These findings open new avenues for developing tailored DOR-mediated analgesic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Reiss
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Hervé Maurin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Emilie Audouard
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Miriam Martínez-Navarro
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaping Xue
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Yann Herault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Cabañero
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Research, Development and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology of Elche (IDiBE), Universidad Miguel Hernández Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Claire Gaveriaux-Ruff
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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30
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Tan LL, Kuner R. Neocortical circuits in pain and pain relief. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:458-471. [PMID: 34127843 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00468-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The sensory, associative and limbic neocortical structures play a critical role in shaping incoming noxious inputs to generate variable pain perceptions. Technological advances in tracing circuitry and interrogation of pathways and complex behaviours are now yielding critical knowledge of neocortical circuits, cellular contributions and causal relationships between pain perception and its abnormalities in chronic pain. Emerging insights into neocortical pain processing suggest the existence of neocortical causality and specificity for pain at the level of subdomains, circuits and cellular entities and the activity patterns they encode. These mechanisms provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention for improved pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-second consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2019 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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Yamada D, Takahashi J, Iio K, Nagase H, Saitoh A. Modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex via delta-opioid receptors in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 560:192-198. [PMID: 34000468 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a vital role in the processing of emotional events. It has been shown that activation of the glutamatergic transmission in prelimbic subregion of the mPFC (PL-PFC) evoked anxiety-like behavior in rodents. We previously reported that local perfusion of a selective agonist to delta-opioid receptor (DOP), KNT-127, attenuated the veratrine-induced elevation of extracellular glutamate in the PL-PFC and anxiety-like behavior in mice. These results suggested the possibility that KNT-127 suppresses glutamate release from the presynaptic site in the PL-PFC. To examine this possibility directly, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recording from principal neurons in the PL-PFC and examined the spontaneous and electrically-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSC)s. We found that bath application of KNT-127 significantly decreased the frequency of spontaneous and miniature EPSCs. Conversely, amplitude, rise time, and decay time of spontaneous and miniature EPSCs were not affected by bath application of KNT-127. Also, KNT-127 increased paired-pulse ratios of electrically-evoked EPSCs in the PL-PFC principal neurons tested. Further, we analyzed the firing properties of pyramidal neurons in the PL-PFC and found that KNT-127 treatment significantly reduced the number of action potentials and firing threshold. These results suggested that KNT-127 suppresses glutamatergic synaptic transmission by inhibiting glutamate release from the presynaptic site and reduces neuronal excitability in the mouse PL-PFC. We propose the possibility that these suppressing effects of KNT-127 on PL-PFC activity are part of the underlying mechanisms of its anxiolytic-like effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Yamada
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Junpei Takahashi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Keita Iio
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nagase
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Saitoh
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan.
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Reeves KC, Kube MJ, Grecco GG, Fritz BM, Muñoz B, Yin F, Gao Y, Haggerty DL, Hoffman HJ, Atwood BK. Mu opioid receptors on vGluT2-expressing glutamatergic neurons modulate opioid reward. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12942. [PMID: 32686251 PMCID: PMC7854952 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of Mu opioid receptor (MOR)‐mediated regulation of GABA transmission in opioid reward is well established. Much less is known about MOR‐mediated regulation of glutamate transmission in the brain and how this relates to drug reward. We previously found that MORs inhibit glutamate transmission at synapses that express the Type 2 vesicular glutamate transporter (vGluT2). We created a transgenic mouse that lacks MORs in vGluT2‐expressing neurons (MORflox‐vGluT2cre) to demonstrate that MORs on the vGluT2 neurons themselves mediate this synaptic inhibition. We then explored the role of MORs in vGluT2‐expressing neurons in opioid‐related behaviors. In tests of conditioned place preference, MORflox‐vGluT2cre mice did not acquire place preference for a low dose of the opioid, oxycodone, but displayed conditioned place aversion at a higher dose, whereas control mice displayed preference for both doses. In an oral consumption assessment, these mice consumed less oxycodone and had reduced preference for oxycodone compared with controls. MORflox‐vGluT2cre mice also failed to show oxycodone‐induced locomotor stimulation. These mice displayed baseline withdrawal‐like responses following the development of oxycodone dependence that were not seen in littermate controls. In addition, withdrawal‐like responses in these mice did not increase following treatment with the opioid antagonist, naloxone. However, other MOR‐mediated behaviors were unaffected, including oxycodone‐induced analgesia. These data reveal that MOR‐mediated regulation of glutamate transmission is a critical component of opioid reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin C. Reeves
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Megan J. Kube
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Gregory G. Grecco
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Brandon M. Fritz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Braulio Muñoz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Fuqin Yin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - David L. Haggerty
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Hunter J. Hoffman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Brady K. Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana USA
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Insulin Bidirectionally Alters NAc Glutamatergic Transmission: Interactions between Insulin Receptor Activation, Endogenous Opioids, and Glutamate Release. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2360-2372. [PMID: 33514676 PMCID: PMC7984597 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3216-18.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Human fMRI studies show that insulin influences brain activity in regions that mediate reward and motivation, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Insulin receptors are expressed by NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and studies of cultured cortical and hippocampal neurons suggest that insulin influences excitatory transmission via presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms. However, nothing is known about how insulin influences excitatory transmission in the NAc. Human fMRI studies show that insulin influences brain activity in regions that mediate reward and motivation, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Insulin receptors are expressed by NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and studies of cultured cortical and hippocampal neurons suggest that insulin influences excitatory transmission via presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms. However, nothing is known about how insulin influences excitatory transmission in the NAc. Furthermore, insulin dysregulation accompanying obesity is linked to cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, and altered motivation that rely on NAc excitatory transmission. Using whole-cell patch-clamp and biochemical approaches, we determined how insulin affects NAc glutamatergic transmission in nonobese and obese male rats and the underlying mechanisms. We find that there are concentration-dependent, bidirectional effects of insulin on excitatory transmission, with insulin receptor activation increasing and IGF receptor activation decreasing NAc excitatory transmission. Increases in excitatory transmission were mediated by activation of postsynaptic insulin receptors located on MSNs. However, this effect was due to an increase in presynaptic glutamate release. This suggested feedback from MSNs to presynaptic terminals. In additional experiments, we found that insulin-induced increases in presynaptic glutamate release are mediated by opioid receptor-dependent disinhibition. Furthermore, obesity resulted in a loss of insulin receptor-mediated increases in excitatory transmission and a reduction in NAc insulin receptor surface expression, while preserving reductions in transmission mediated by IGF receptors. These results provide the first insights into how insulin influences excitatory transmission in the adult brain, and evidence for a previously unidentified form of opioid receptor-dependent disinhibition of NAc glutamatergic transmission. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Data here provide the first insights into how insulin influences excitatory transmission in the adult brain, and identify previously unknown interactions between insulin receptor activation, opioids, and glutamatergic transmission. These data contribute to our fundamental understanding of insulin's influence on brain motivational systems and have implications for the use of insulin as a cognitive enhancer and for targeting of insulin receptors and IGF receptors to alter motivation.
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Morigaki R, Lee JH, Yoshida T, Wüthrich C, Hu D, Crittenden JR, Friedman A, Kubota Y, Graybiel AM. Spatiotemporal Up-Regulation of Mu Opioid Receptor 1 in Striatum of Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease Differentially Affecting Caudal and Striosomal Regions. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:608060. [PMID: 33362481 PMCID: PMC7758501 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.608060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The striatum of humans and other mammals is divided into macroscopic compartments made up of a labyrinthine striosome compartment embedded in a much larger surrounding matrix compartment. Anatomical and snRNA-Seq studies of the Huntington’s disease (HD) postmortem striatum suggest a preferential decline of some striosomal markers, and mRNAs studies of HD model mice concur. Here, by immunohistochemical methods, we examined the distribution of the canonical striosomal marker, mu-opioid receptor 1 (MOR1), in the striatum of the Q175 knock-in mouse model of HD in a postnatal time series extending from 3 to 19 months. We demonstrate that, contrary to the loss of many markers for striosomes, there is a pronounced up-regulation of MOR1 in these Q175 knock-in mice. We show that in heterozygous Q175 knock-in model mice [~192 cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats], this MOR1 up-regulation progressed with advancing age and disease progression, and was particularly remarkable at caudal levels of the striatum. Given the known importance of MOR1 in basal ganglia signaling, our findings, though in mice, should offer clues to the pathogenesis of psychiatric features, especially depression, reinforcement sensitivity, and involuntary movements in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoma Morigaki
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Advanced Brain Research, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.,Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Jannifer H Lee
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States.,Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Tomoko Yoshida
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Christian Wüthrich
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Dan Hu
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jill R Crittenden
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Institute for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alexander Friedman
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Yasuo Kubota
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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36
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Murray JM, Escola GS. Remembrance of things practiced with fast and slow learning in cortical and subcortical pathways. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6441. [PMID: 33361766 PMCID: PMC7758336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The learning of motor skills unfolds over multiple timescales, with rapid initial gains in performance followed by a longer period in which the behavior becomes more refined, habitual, and automatized. While recent lesion and inactivation experiments have provided hints about how various brain areas might contribute to such learning, their precise roles and the neural mechanisms underlying them are not well understood. In this work, we propose neural- and circuit-level mechanisms by which motor cortex, thalamus, and striatum support motor learning. In this model, the combination of fast cortical learning and slow subcortical learning gives rise to a covert learning process through which control of behavior is gradually transferred from cortical to subcortical circuits, while protecting learned behaviors that are practiced repeatedly against overwriting by future learning. Together, these results point to a new computational role for thalamus in motor learning and, more broadly, provide a framework for understanding the neural basis of habit formation and the automatization of behavior through practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Murray
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
| | - G Sean Escola
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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37
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Cushnie AK, El-Nahal HG, Bohlen MO, May PJ, Basso MA, Grimaldi P, Wang MZ, de Velasco Ezequiel MF, Sommer MA, Heilbronner SR. Using rAAV2-retro in rhesus macaques: Promise and caveats for circuit manipulation. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 345:108859. [PMID: 32668316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent genetic technologies such as opto- and chemogenetics allow for the manipulation of brain circuits with unprecedented precision. Most studies employing these techniques have been undertaken in rodents, but a more human-homologous model for studying the brain is the nonhuman primate (NHP). Optimizing viral delivery of transgenes encoding actuator proteins could revolutionize the way we study neuronal circuits in NHPs. NEW METHOD: rAAV2-retro, a popular new capsid variant, produces robust retrograde labeling in rodents. Whether rAAV2-retro's highly efficient retrograde transport would translate to NHPs was unknown. Here, we characterized the anatomical distribution of labeling following injections of rAAV2-retro encoding opsins or DREADDs in the cortico-basal ganglia and oculomotor circuits of rhesus macaques. RESULTS rAAV2-retro injections in striatum, frontal eye field, and superior colliculus produced local labeling at injection sites and robust retrograde labeling in many afferent regions. In every case, however, a few brain regions with well-established projections to the injected structure lacked retrogradely labeled cells. We also observed robust terminal field labeling in downstream structures. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Patterns of labeling were similar to those obtained with traditional tract-tracers, except for some afferent labeling that was noticeably absent. CONCLUSIONS rAAV2-retro promises to be useful for circuit manipulation via retrograde transduction in NHPs, but caveats were revealed by our findings. Some afferently connected regions lacked retrogradely labeled cells, showed robust axon terminal labeling, or both. This highlights the importance of anatomically characterizing rAAV2-retro's expression in target circuits in NHPs before moving to manipulation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana K Cushnie
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Hala G El-Nahal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Martin O Bohlen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Paul J May
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, 39216, United States
| | - Michele A Basso
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Neurobiology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Piercesare Grimaldi
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Neurobiology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Maya Zhe Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | | | - Marc A Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Sarah R Heilbronner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
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38
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Electroacupuncture Improves IBS Visceral Hypersensitivity by Inhibiting the Activation of Astrocytes in the Medial Thalamus and Anterior Cingulate Cortex. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:2562979. [PMID: 32617101 PMCID: PMC7306073 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2562979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective To explore whether the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on visceral hypersensitivity (VH) in rats with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is related to the changes of astrocyte activation in the medial thalamus (MT) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Method Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control (NC) group, model control (MC) group, electroacupuncture (EA) group, and fluorocitrate (FCA) group. A model of visceral hypersensitivity was established by neonatal colorectal irritation. In the EA group, needles were inserted into the skin at the Tianshu (ST25) and Shangjuxu (ST37) acupoints, once a day for 7 days. The FCA group received intrathecal injection of FCA on the 1st, 4th, and 7th days. Visceral hypersensitivity was evaluated by the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA and protein levels in the MT and ACC were detected by real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blots. Results The AWR score in the MC group was significantly higher than in the NC group, and EA and FCA reduced the AWR score of VH rats. GFAP mRNA and protein levels in the MT and ACC of rats in the MC group were significantly increased compared with the NC group. After either electroacupuncture or fluorocitrate, GFAP mRNA and protein levels in the MT and ACC were both clearly reduced. Conclusion Electroacupuncture alleviates IBS visceral hypersensitivity by inhibiting the activation of astrocytes in the MT and ACC.
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Li X, Zhou H, Yang P, Shi HX, Xiong Y, Nie ZY, Yu JQ, Wang YA, Zhou R, Wang LY. Cyclin-dependent Kinase 5 Regulates Cortical Neurotransmission and Neural Circuits Associated with Motor Control in the Secondary Motor Cortex in the Mouse. Neuroscience 2020; 438:9-24. [PMID: 32353462 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a regulator of axon growth and radial neuronal migration in the developing mouse brain, and it plays critical roles in cortical structure formation and brain function. However, the function of Cdk5 in cortico-cortical and cortico-sensorimotor networks in the adult remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the function of Cdk5 in the rostral secondary motor cortex (M2) in the male mouse using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and somatic brain transgenesis, to produce M2-specific knockdown of Cdk5 in neurons in the male mouse. Mouse deficient in Cdk5 in the M2 exhibited a reduction in both the number of functional synapses and the total basal dendritic length, as well as motor dysfunction. Furthermore, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in layer V green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tag pyramidal neurons revealed a decrease in the frequency and amplitude of miniature EPSCs and miniature IPSCs, as well as a reduction in the population synaptic responses (fEPSPs) in these mice. Specifically, retrograde labeling showed that Cdk5 knockdown in the M2 caused a reduction in long-range projections to the M2 from the thalamus/prefrontal cortex and claustrum. Collectively, our findings show a new regulatory role of Cdk5 in neural circuit maintenance, and that the changes in neural transmission and circuits in the mice with Cdk5 knockdown in the M2 likely contribute to the motor dysfunction in these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Hu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Pei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hua-Xiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Yong-An Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ru Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
| | - Li-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China.
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40
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Synapse-specific expression of mu opioid receptor long-term depression in the dorsomedial striatum. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7234. [PMID: 32350330 PMCID: PMC7190836 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal striatum is a brain region involved in action control, with dorsomedial striatum (DMS) mediating goal-directed actions and dorsolateral striatum (DLS) mediating habitual actions. Presynaptic long-term synaptic depression (LTD) plasticity at glutamatergic inputs to dorsal striatum mediates many dorsal striatum-dependent behaviors and disruption of LTD influences action control. Our previous work identified mu opioid receptors (MORs) as mediators of synapse-specific forms of synaptic depression at a number of different DLS synapses. We demonstrated that anterior insular cortex inputs are the sole inputs that express alcohol-sensitive MOR-mediated LTD (mOP-LTD) in DLS. Here, we explore mOP-LTD in DMS using mouse brain slice electrophysiology. We found that contrary to DLS, DMS mOP-LTD is induced by activation of MORs at inputs from both anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices as well as at basolateral amygdala inputs and striatal cholinergic interneuron synapses on to DMS medium spiny neurons, suggesting that MOR synaptic plasticity in DMS is less synapse-specific than in DLS. Furthermore, only mOP-LTD at cortical inputs was sensitive to alcohol's deleterious effects. These results suggest that alcohol-induced neuroadaptations are differentially expressed in a synapse-specific manner and could be playing a role in alterations of goal-directed and habitual behaviors.
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41
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Weiss AR, Liguore WA, Domire JS, Button D, McBride JL. Intra-striatal AAV2.retro administration leads to extensive retrograde transport in the rhesus macaque brain: implications for disease modeling and therapeutic development. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6970. [PMID: 32332773 PMCID: PMC7181773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63559-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, AAV2.retro, a new capsid variant capable of efficient retrograde transport in brain, was generated in mice using a directed evolution approach. However, it remains unclear to what degree transport will be recapitulated in the substantially larger and more complex nonhuman primate (NHP) brain. Here, we compared the biodistribution of AAV2.retro with its parent serotype, AAV2, in adult macaques following delivery into the caudate and putamen, brain regions which comprise the striatum. While AAV2 transduction was primarily limited to the injected brain regions, AAV2.retro transduced cells in the striatum and in dozens of cortical and subcortical regions with known striatal afferents. We then evaluated the capability of AAV2.retro to deliver disease-related gene cargo to biologically-relevant NHP brain circuits by packaging a fragment of human mutant HTT, the causative gene mutation in Huntington’s disease. Following intra-striatal delivery, pathological mHTT-positive protein aggregates were distributed widely among cognitive, motor, and limbic cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Together, these studies demonstrate strong retrograde transport of AAV2.retro in NHP brain, highlight its utility in developing novel NHP models of brain disease and suggest its potential for querying circuit function and delivering therapeutic genes in the brain, particularly where treating dysfunctional circuits, versus single brain regions, is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R Weiss
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA
| | - William A Liguore
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA
| | - Jacqueline S Domire
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA
| | - Dana Button
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA. .,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA.
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42
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Birdsong WT, Williams JT. Recent Progress in Opioid Research from an Electrophysiological Perspective. Mol Pharmacol 2020; 98:401-409. [PMID: 32198208 PMCID: PMC7562972 DOI: 10.1124/mol.119.119040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological approaches provide powerful tools to further our understanding of how different opioids affect signaling through opioid receptors; how opioid receptors modulate circuitry involved in processes such as pain, respiration, addiction, and feeding; and how receptor signaling and circuits are altered by physiologic challenges, such as injury, stress, and chronic opioid treatment. The use of genetic manipulations to alter or remove μ-opioid receptors (MORs) with anatomic and cell type specificity and the ability to activate or inhibit specific circuits through opto- or chemogenetic approaches are being used in combination with electrophysiological, pharmacological, and systems-level physiology experiments to expand our understanding of the beneficial and maladaptive roles of opioids and opioid receptor signaling. New approaches for studying endogenous opioid peptide signaling and release and the dynamics of these systems in response to chronic opioid use, pain, and stress will add another layer to our understanding of the intricacies of opioid modulation of brain circuits. This understanding may lead to new targets or approaches for drug development or treatment regimens that may affect both acute and long-term effects of manipulating the activity of circuits involved in opioid-mediated physiology and behaviors. This review will discuss recent advancements in our understanding of the role of phosphorylation in regulating MOR signaling, as well as our understanding of circuits and signaling pathways mediating physiologic behaviors such as respiratory control, and discuss how electrophysiological tools combined with new technologies have and will continue to advance the field of opioid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Birdsong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (W.T.B.) and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (J.T.W.)
| | - John T Williams
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (W.T.B.) and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (J.T.W.)
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43
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St Laurent R, Martinez Damonte V, Tsuda AC, Kauer JA. Periaqueductal Gray and Rostromedial Tegmental Inhibitory Afferents to VTA Have Distinct Synaptic Plasticity and Opiate Sensitivity. Neuron 2020; 106:624-636.e4. [PMID: 32191871 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a major target of addictive drugs and receives multiple GABAergic projections originating outside the VTA. We describe differences in synaptic plasticity and behavior when optogenetically driving two opiate-sensitive GABAergic inputs to the VTA, the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), and the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Activation of GABAergic RMTg terminals in the VTA in vivo is aversive, and low-frequency stimulation induces long-term depression in vitro. Low-frequency stimulation of PAG afferents in vitro unexpectedly causes long-term potentiation. Opioid receptor activation profoundly depresses PAG and RMTg inhibitory synapses but prevents synaptic plasticity only at PAG synapses. Activation of the GABAergic PAG terminals in the VTA promotes immobility, and optogenetically-driven immobility is blocked by morphine. Our data reveal the PAG as a source of highly opioid-sensitive GABAergic afferents and support the idea that different GABAergic pathways to the VTA control distinct behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn St Laurent
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
| | - Valentina Martinez Damonte
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
| | - Ayumi C Tsuda
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Julie A Kauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA.
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44
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Sutton LP, Muntean BS, Ostrovskaya O, Zucca S, Dao M, Orlandi C, Song C, Xie K, Martemyanov KA. NF1-cAMP signaling dissociates cell type-specific contributions of striatal medium spiny neurons to reward valuation and motor control. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000477. [PMID: 31600280 PMCID: PMC6805008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The striatum plays a fundamental role in motor learning and reward-related behaviors that are synergistically shaped by populations of D1 dopamine receptor (D1R)- and D2 dopamine receptor (D2R)-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs). How various neurotransmitter inputs converging on common intracellular pathways are parsed out to regulate distinct behavioral outcomes in a neuron-specific manner is poorly understood. Here, we reveal that distinct contributions of D1R-MSNs and D2R-MSNs towards reward and motor behaviors are delineated by the multifaceted signaling protein neurofibromin 1 (NF1). Using genetic mouse models, we show that NF1 in D1R-MSN modulates opioid reward, whereas loss of NF1 in D2R-MSNs delays motor learning by impeding the formation and consolidation of repetitive motor sequences. We found that motor learning deficits upon NF1 loss were associated with the disruption in dopamine signaling to cAMP in D2R-MSN. Restoration of cAMP levels pharmacologically or chemogenetically rescued the motor learning deficits seen upon NF1 loss in D2R-MSN. Our findings illustrate that multiplex signaling capabilities of MSNs are deployed at the level of intracellular pathways to achieve cell-specific control over behavioral outcomes. A mouse genetic study reveals that the multifaceted signaling protein neurofibromin (known for its role in the human genetic disease neurofibromatosis type 1) plays a key role in differential routing of motor and reward signals in populations of striatal medium spiny neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie P. Sutton
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Brian S. Muntean
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Olga Ostrovskaya
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stefano Zucca
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Maria Dao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Cesare Orlandi
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Chenghui Song
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Keqiang Xie
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kirill A. Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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45
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Prager EM, Plotkin JL. Compartmental function and modulation of the striatum. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1503-1514. [PMID: 31489687 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The striatum plays a central role in guiding numerous complex behaviors, ranging from motor control to action selection and reward learning. The diverse responsibilities of the striatum are reflected by the complexity of its organization. In this review, we will summarize what is currently known about the compartmental layout of the striatum, an organizational principle that is crucial for allowing the striatum to guide such a diverse array of behaviors. We will focus on the anatomical and functional properties of striosome (patch) and matrix compartments of the striatum, and how the engagement of these compartments is uniquely controlled by their afferents, intrinsic properties, and neuromodulation. We will give examples of how advances in technology have opened the door to functionally dissecting the striatum's compartmental design, and close by offering thoughts on the future and relevance for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Prager
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Joshua L Plotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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