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Rae M, Gomes I, Spelta LEW, Bailey A, Marcourakis T, Devi L, Camarini R. Environmental enrichment enhances ethanol preference over social reward in male swiss mice: Involvement of oxytocin-dopamine interactions. Neuropharmacology 2024; 253:109971. [PMID: 38705568 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109971] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The impact of environmental enrichment (EE) on natural rewards, including social and appetitive rewards, was investigated in male Swiss mice. EE, known for providing animals with various stimuli, was assessed for its effects on conditioned place preference (CPP) associated with ethanol and social stimuli. We previously demonstrated that EE increased the levels of the prosocial neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in the hypothalamus and enhanced ethanol rewarding effects via an oxytocinergic mechanism. This study also investigated the impact of EE on social dominance and motivation for rewards, measured OT-mediated phospholipase C (PLC) activity in striatal membranes, and assessed OT expression in the hypothalamus. The role of dopamine in motivating rewards was considered, along with the interaction between OT and D1 receptors (DR) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Results showed that EE mice exhibited a preference for ethanol reward over social reward, a pattern replicated by the OT analogue Carbetocin. EE mice demonstrated increased social dominance and reduced motivation for appetitive taste stimuli. Higher OT mRNA levels in the hypothalamus were followed by diminished OT receptor (OTR) signaling activity in the striatum of EE mice. Additionally, EE mice displayed elevated D1R expression, which was attenuated by the OTR antagonist (L-368-889). The findings underscore the reinforcing effect of EE on ethanol and social rewards through an oxytocinergic mechanism. Nonetheless, they suggest that mechanisms other than the prosocial effect of EE may contribute to the ethanol pro-rewarding effect of EE and Carbetocin. They also point towards an OT-dopamine interaction potentially underlying some of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rae
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Ivone Gomes
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Lidia Emmanuela Wiazowski Spelta
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Alexis Bailey
- Pharmacology Section, Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Lakshmi Devi
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
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Garcia RCT, Spelta LEW, Udo MSB, Bruno V, Fonseca DA, de Faria Almeida CA, Dos Reis TM, Torres LH, Marcourakis T. Neurotoxicity of crack cocaine exposure: evidence from a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies. Arch Toxicol 2024:10.1007/s00204-024-03782-7. [PMID: 38769171 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03782-7] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Several studies suggest that crack cocaine users exhibit higher prevalence of both psychiatric and psychosocial problems, with an aggressive pattern of drug use. Nevertheless, few experimental studies attempted to verify the neurotoxicity after crack cocaine exposure, especially when compared with other routes of cocaine administration. This systematic review aimed to verify whether in vitro and/or in vivo crack cocaine exposure is more neurotoxic than cocaine exposure (snorted or injected). A search was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS databases for in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies conducted with either rats or mice, with no distinction with regard to sex or age. Other methods including BioRxiv, BDTD, Academic Google, citation searching, and specialist consultation were also adopted. Two independent investigators screened the titles and abstracts of retrieved studies and subsequently performed full-text reading and data extraction. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Toxicological data Reliability assessment Tool (ToxRTool). The study protocol was registered with the Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42022332250). Of the twelve studies included, three were in vitro and nine were in vivo studies. According to the ToxRTool, most studies were considered reliable either with or without restrictions, with no one being considered as not reliable. The studies found neuroteratogenic effects, decreased threshold for epileptic seizures, schizophrenic-like symptoms, and cognitive deficits to be associated with crack cocaine exposure. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies reported a worsening in cocaine neurotoxic effect caused by the anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), a cocaine main pyrolysis product, which is in line with the more aggressive pattern of crack cocaine use. This systematic review suggests that crack cocaine exposure is more neurotoxic than other routes of cocaine administration. However, before the scarcity of studies on this topic, further toxicological studies are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Caio Tamborelli Garcia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Lidia Emmanuela Wiazowski Spelta
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana Sayuri Berto Udo
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vitor Bruno
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo Aguiar Fonseca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Tiago Marques Dos Reis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Larissa Helena Torres
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Spelta LEW, Real CC, Bruno V, Buchpiguel CA, Garcia RCT, Torres LH, de Paula Faria D, Marcourakis T. Impact of cannabidiol on brain glucose metabolism of C57Bl/6 male mice previously exposed to cocaine. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25327. [PMID: 38588037 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25327] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Despite evidence of the beneficial effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in animal models of cocaine use disorder (CUD), CBD neuronal mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of CBD treatment on brain glucose metabolism, in a CUD animal model, using [18F]FDG positron emission tomography (PET). Male C57Bl/6 mice were injected with cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) every other day for 9 days, followed by 8 days of CBD administration (30 mg/kg, i.p.). After 48 h, animals were challenged with cocaine. Control animals received saline/vehicle. [18F]FDG PET was performed at four time points: baseline, last day of sensitization, last day of withdrawal/CBD treatment, and challenge. Subsequently, the animals were euthanized and immunohistochemistry was performed on the hippocampus and amygdala to assess the CB1 receptors, neuronal nuclear protein, microglia (Iba1), and astrocytes (GFAP). Results showed that cocaine administration increased [18F]FDG uptake following sensitization. CBD treatment also increased [18F]FDG uptake in both saline and cocaine groups. However, animals that were sensitized and challenged with cocaine, and those receiving only an acute cocaine injection during the challenge phase, did not exhibit increased [18F]FDG uptake when treated with CBD. Furthermore, CBD induced modifications in the integrated density of NeuN, Iba, GFAP, and CB1R in the hippocampus and amygdala. This is the first study addressing the impact of CBD on brain glucose metabolism in a preclinical model of CUD using PET. Our findings suggest that CBD disrupts cocaine-induced changes in brain energy consumption and activity, which might be correlated with alterations in neuronal and glial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Emmanuela Wiazowski Spelta
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Cristiano Real
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vitor Bruno
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Buchpiguel
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Helena Torres
- Department of Food and Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Daniele de Paula Faria
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Spelta LEW, Real CC, Buchpiguel CA, de Paula Faria D, Marcourakis T. [ 18 F]FDG brain uptake of C57Bl/6 male mice is affected by locomotor activity after cocaine use: A small animal positron emission tomography study. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1876-1889. [PMID: 35779255 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25102] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We verified if cocaine-induced peripheral activation might disrupt [18 F]FDG brain uptake after a cocaine challenge and suggested an optimal protocol to measure cocaine-induced brain metabolic alterations in mice. C57Bl/6 male mice were injected with [18 F]FDG and randomly separated into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 were kept conscious after [18 F]FDG administration and after 5 min received saline or cocaine (20 mg/kg). The animals in group 1 (n = 5) were then evaluated in the open field for 30 min and those from group 2 (n = 6) were kept alone in a home cage for the same period. Forty-five minutes after [18 F]FDG administration, images were acquired for 30 min. Group 3 (n = 6) was kept anesthetized and image acquisition started immediately after tracer injection, for 75 min. Saline (Day 1) or cocaine (Day 2) was injected 5 min after starting acquisition. Another set of animals (n = 5) were treated with cocaine every other day for 10 days or saline (n = 6) and were scanned with the dynamic protocol to verify its efficacy. [18 F]FDG uptake increased after cocaine administration when compared to baseline only in animals kept under anesthesia. No brain effect of cocaine was observed in animals submitted to the open field or kept in the home cage. The use of anesthesia is essential to visualize cocaine-induced changes in brain metabolism by [18 F]FDG PET, providing an interesting preclinical approach to investigate naïve subjects and enabling a bidirectional translational science approach for better understanding of cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Emmanuela Wiazowski Spelta
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Cristiano Real
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Buchpiguel
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniele de Paula Faria
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Bruno V, Wiazowski Spelta LE, Durão AC, Camarini R, Marcourakis T. Psychedelics and Mental Health: An Alternative Strategy to Treat Mental Impairments Triggered or Aggravated by COVID-19. Altern Ther Health Med 2022; 28:40-43. [PMID: 35427236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the discovery of vaccines for COVID-19, one of the best security measures to contain the spread of the virus is social distancing and isolation. However, isolation might trigger negative mental outcomes, such as onset of a depressive and anxious condition, increased consumption of alcohol and drugs, relapse to substances of abuse, and even induce post-traumatic stress disorder. Interestingly, recent research with psychedelics suggests that when these substances are used in combination with psychotherapy, they may reduce these mental impairments. Nevertheless, scientists are still working to elucidate the possible mechanisms behind these phenomena.
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Castro AP, Kawano T, Spelta LEW, de Castro AT, Pereira NA, Couto FFB, Dos Santos MH, Boralli VB, Marques MJ. In vivo schistosomicidal activity of 7-epiclusianone and its quantification in the plasma of healthy and Schistosoma mansoni infected mice using UPLC-MS/MS. Phytomedicine 2018; 38:66-73. [PMID: 29425656 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tetraprenylated benzophenone 7-epiclusianone (7-epi) is a substance isolated from the fruits of Garcinia brasiliensis and in vitro studies have demonstrated that 7-epi is effective against Schistosoma mansoni adult worms. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE Here we report the in vivo evaluation of 7-epi and its pharmacokinetic in healthy and Schistosoma mansoni infected mice. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS In this work, we assayed the schistosomicidal activity of 7-epi at the dose of 100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight/day in S. mansoni experimentally infected mice. Besides, two groups of animals were treated and a detailed analysis of plasma samples was performed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS The worm burden showed a reduction in the infected mice after treatment with 300 mg/kg for five days (p < .05). And we found an increase of AUC0-∞ (20846 vs. 32438 ng.h/ml) and a decrease of total apparent clearance (0.006 vs. 0.004 l/h/kg) of 7- epi in the infected group compared to the healthy group. Consequently, the half-life increased (1.73 vs. 6.11 h) and Cmax was reduced (5427.5 vs. 3321.0 ng/ml) in the infected group compared to the healthy group. In addition, histopathological investigations were performed analysing liver samples from healthy and infected mice. CONCLUSION The results showed significant schistosomicidal in vivo activity at 300 mg/kg. In addition, livers from S. mansoni infected mice showed a greater number of egg granulomas and the changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters in this group could be associated with the pathology of the murine experimental schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Pereira Castro
- Federal University of Alfenas, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Laboratory of Parasitology, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Taila Kawano
- Federal University of Alfenas, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Andreísa Teixeira de Castro
- Federal University of Alfenas, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Laboratory of Parasitology, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Neusa Araújo Pereira
- Laboratory of Schistosomiasis, Rene Rachou Research Center - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Vanessa Bergamin Boralli
- Federal University of Alfenas, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcos José Marques
- Federal University of Alfenas, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Laboratory of Parasitology, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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