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Vilca SJ, Margetts AV, Fleites I, Wahlestedt C, Tuesta LM. Microglia contribute to methamphetamine reinforcement and reflect persistent transcriptional and morphological adaptations to the drug. bioRxiv 2024:2023.10.19.563168. [PMID: 37961443 PMCID: PMC10634674 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a chronic, relapsing disease that is characterized by repeated drug use despite negative consequences and for which there are currently no FDA-approved cessation therapeutics. Repeated methamphetamine (METH) use induces long-term gene expression changes in brain regions associated with reward processing and drug-seeking behavior, and recent evidence suggests that methamphetamine-induced neuroinflammation may also shape behavioral and molecular responses to the drug. Microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, are principal drivers of neuroinflammatory responses and contribute to the pathophysiology of substance use disorders. Here, we investigated transcriptional and morphological changes in dorsal striatal microglia in response to methamphetamine-taking and during methamphetamine abstinence, as well as their functional contribution to drug-taking behavior. We show that methamphetamine self-administration induces transcriptional changes associated with protein folding, mRNA processing, immune signaling, and neurotransmission in dorsal striatal microglia. Importantly, many of these transcriptional changes persist through abstinence, a finding supported by morphological analyses. Functionally, we report that microglial ablation increases methamphetamine-taking, possibly involving neuroimmune and neurotransmitter regulation, and that post-methamphetamine microglial repopulation attenuates drug-seeking following a 21-day period of abstinence. In contrast, microglial depletion during abstinence did not alter methamphetamine-seeking. Taken together, these results suggest that methamphetamine induces both short and long-term changes in dorsal striatal microglia that contribute to altered drug-taking behavior and may provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of MUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara J. Vilca
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
| | - Alexander V. Margetts
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
| | - Isabella Fleites
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
| | - Luis M. Tuesta
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136
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Xu X, Zheng S, Ren J, Li Z, Li J, Xu Z, Yuan F, Yang Q, Margetts AV, Pollock TA, Vilca SJ, Yang C, Chen G, Shen P, Li S, Xia J, Chen C, Zhou T, Zhu Y, Tuesta LM, Wang L, Kenny PJ, Liu XA, Chen Z. Hypothalamic CRF neurons facilitate brain reward function. Curr Biol 2024; 34:389-402.e5. [PMID: 38215742 PMCID: PMC10842365 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Aversive stimuli activate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVNCRF neurons) and other brain stress systems to facilitate avoidance behaviors. Appetitive stimuli also engage the brain stress systems, but their contributions to reward-related behaviors are less well understood. Here, we show that mice work vigorously to optically activate PVNCRF neurons in an operant chamber, indicating a reinforcing nature of these neurons. The reinforcing property of these neurons is not mediated by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We found that PVNCRF neurons send direct projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and selective activation of these projections induced robust self-stimulation behaviors, without activation of the HPA axis. Similar to the PVNCRF cell bodies, self-stimulation of PVNCRF-VTA projection was dramatically attenuated by systemic pretreatment of CRF receptor 1 or dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) antagonist and augmented by corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone, but not altered by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonist. Furthermore, we found that activation of PVNCRF-VTA projections increased c-Fos expression in the VTA dopamine neurons and rapidly triggered dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and microinfusion of D1R or D2R antagonist into the NAc decreased the self-stimulation of these projections. Together, our findings reveal an unappreciated role of PVNCRF neurons and their VTA projections in driving reward-related behaviors, independent of their core neuroendocrine functions. As activation of PVNCRF neurons is the final common path for many stress systems, our study suggests a novel mechanism underlying the positive reinforcing effect of stressful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinli Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuidiao Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayan Ren
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zixuan Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinyan Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhibin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Feng Yuan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qixing Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Alexander V Margetts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tate A Pollock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Samara J Vilca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Canyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gaowei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Peilei Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianxun Xia
- Yunkang School of Medicine and Health, Nanfang College, Guangzhou 510970, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuyun Chen
- The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Luis M Tuesta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Liping Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Xin-An Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Zuxin Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Vilca SJ, Margetts AV, Pollock TA, Tuesta LM. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of microglia in substance use disorders. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103838. [PMID: 36893849 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia are widely known for their role in immune surveillance and for their ability to refine neurocircuitry during development, but a growing body of evidence suggests that microglia may also play a complementary role to neurons in regulating the behavioral aspects of substance use disorders. While many of these efforts have focused on changes in microglial gene expression associated with drug-taking, epigenetic regulation of these changes has yet to be fully understood. This review provides recent evidence supporting the role of microglia in various aspects of substance use disorder, with particular focus on changes to the microglial transcriptome and the potential epigenetic mechanisms driving these changes. Further, this review discusses the latest technical advances in low-input chromatin profiling and highlights the current challenges for studying these novel molecular mechanisms in microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara J Vilca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America
| | - Alexander V Margetts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America
| | - Tate A Pollock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America
| | - Luis M Tuesta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States of America.
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