1
|
Aziz HC, Mangieri RA. Sexually dimorphic characteristics of dopamine D1 receptor-expressing neurons within the shell of the nucleus accumbens of adolescent mice. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3717874. [PMID: 38168228 PMCID: PMC10760258 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3717874/v1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Adolescence, a developmental stage, is characterized by psychosocial and biological changes. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a striatal brain region composed of the core (NAcC) and shell (NAcSh), has been linked to risk-taking behavior and implicated in reward seeking and evaluation. Most neurons in the NAc are medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that express dopamine D1 receptors (D1R+) and/or dopamine D2 receptors (D2R+). Changes in dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems occur during adolescence and converge in the NAc. While there are previous investigations into sex differences in membrane excitability and synaptic glutamate transmission in both subdivisions of the NAc, to our knowledge, none have specified NAcSh D1R+MSNs from mice during mid-adolescence. Methods Sagittal brain slices containing the NAc were prepared from B6.Cg-Tg(Drd1a-tdTomato)6Calak/J mice of both sexes from postnatal days 35-47. Stained smears were made from vaginal samples from female mice to identify the stage of Estrous at death. Whole-cell electrophysiology recordings were collected from NAcSh D1R+MSNs in the form of membrane-voltage responses to current injections and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). Results The action potential duration was longer in males than infemales. Additionally, the frequency of sEPSCs was higher in females, and the mean event amplitude was smaller than that in males. We found no evidence of the observed sex differences being driven by the stage of the Estrous cycle and no physiological parameter significantly varied with respect to the Estrous cycle. Conclusions Taken together, our results indicate that NAcSh D1R+MSNs exhibit sex differences during mid-adolescence that are independent of the stage of Estrous, in both AP waveform and glutamate transmission, possibly due to changes in voltage-gated potassium channels and α-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptors, respectively.
Collapse
|
2
|
Grigsby KB, Mangieri RA, Roberts AJ, Lopez MF, Firsick EJ, Townsley KG, Beneze A, Bess J, Eisenstein TK, Meissler JJ, Light JM, Miller J, Quello S, Shadan F, Skinner M, Aziz HC, Metten P, Morrisett RA, Crabbe JC, Roberto M, Becker HC, Mason BJ, Ozburn AR. Preclinical and clinical evidence for suppression of alcohol intake by apremilast. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e159103. [PMID: 36656645 PMCID: PMC10014105 DOI: 10.1172/jci159103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have minimally advanced since 2004, while the annual deaths and economic toll have increased alarmingly. Phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) is associated with alcohol and nicotine dependence. PDE4 inhibitors were identified as a potential AUD treatment using a bioinformatics approach. We prioritized a newer PDE4 inhibitor, apremilast, as ideal for repurposing (i.e., FDA approved for psoriasis, low incidence of adverse events, excellent safety profile) and tested it using multiple animal strains and models, as well as in a human phase IIa study. We found that apremilast reduced binge-like alcohol intake and behavioral measures of alcohol motivation in mouse models of genetic risk for drinking to intoxication. Apremilast also reduced excessive alcohol drinking in models of stress-facilitated drinking and alcohol dependence. Using site-directed drug infusions and electrophysiology, we uncovered that apremilast may act to lessen drinking in mice by increasing neural activity in the nucleus accumbens, a key brain region in the regulation of alcohol intake. Importantly, apremilast (90 mg/d) reduced excessive drinking in non-treatment-seeking individuals with AUD in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. These results demonstrate that apremilast suppresses excessive alcohol drinking across the spectrum of AUD severity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kolter B. Grigsby
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Regina A. Mangieri
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Amanda J. Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marcelo F. Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Evan J. Firsick
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kayla G. Townsley
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Alan Beneze
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jessica Bess
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Toby K. Eisenstein
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph J. Meissler
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Jenny Miller
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Susan Quello
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Farhad Shadan
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Skinner
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Heather C. Aziz
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Richard A. Morrisett
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Howard C. Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Barbara J. Mason
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Baratta AM, Mangieri RA, Aziz HC, Lopez MF, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Effect of chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure on RNA content of brain-derived extracellular vesicles. Alcohol 2022; 105:9-24. [PMID: 36055466 PMCID: PMC10173183 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.08.006] [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: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important players in normal biological function and disease pathogenesis. Of the many biomolecules packaged into EVs, coding and noncoding RNA transcripts are of particular interest for their ability to significantly alter cellular and molecular processes. Here we investigate how chronic ethanol exposure impacts EV RNA cargo and the functional outcomes of these changes. Following chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure, EVs were isolated from male and female C57BL/6J mouse brain. Total RNA from EVs was analyzed by lncRNA/mRNA microarray to survey changes in RNA cargo following vapor exposure. Differential expression analysis of microarray data revealed a number of lncRNA and mRNA types differentially expressed in CIE compared to control EVs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified multiple male and female specific modules related to neuroinflammation, cell death, demyelination, and synapse organization. To functionally test these changes, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were used to assess synaptic transmission. Incubation of nucleus accumbens brain slices with EVs led to a reduction in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current amplitude, although no changes in synaptic transmission were observed between control and CIE EV administration. These results indicate that CIE vapor exposure significantly changes the RNA cargo of brain-derived EVs, which have the ability to impact neuronal function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa M Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Regina A Mangieri
- College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Heather C Aziz
- College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
| | - Sean P Farris
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mangieri RA, Allers KA, Zahr NM. Editorial: The Jilted Brain: Neglected Structures and Functions. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:716242. [PMID: 34456690 PMCID: PMC8387101 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.716242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Kelly A Allers
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Natalie M Zahr
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Nixon
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Regina A Mangieri
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Shillinglaw JE, Morrisett RA, Mangieri RA. Ethanol Modulates Glutamatergic Transmission and NMDAR-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity in the Agranular Insular Cortex. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1458. [PMID: 30618752 PMCID: PMC6305468 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The agranular insular cortex (AIC) has recently been investigated by the alcohol field because of its connectivity to and modulatory control over limbic and brainstem regions implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD), and because it has shown involvement in animal models of alcohol drinking. Despite evidence of AIC involvement in AUD, there has not yet been an examination of whether ethanol modulates glutamatergic and γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA)ergic synaptic transmission and plasticity in the AIC. Characterizing how the synaptic transmission and plasticity states of AIC cortical processing neurons are modulated by acute ethanol will likely reveal the molecular targets by which chronic ethanol alters AIC function as alcohol drinking transitions from controlled to problematic. Therefore, we collected brain slices from ethanol-naïve adult male mice, obtained whole-cell recording configuration in layer 2/3 AIC pyramidal neurons, and bath-applied ethanol at pharmacologically relevant concentrations during electrophysiological assays of glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission and plasticity. We found that ethanol inhibited electrically evoked N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) in a concentration-related fashion, and had little effect on evoked α-amino-3-hydrox-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid-type receptor (AMPAR)-mediated EPSCs. Ethanol had no effect on spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (sEPSCs) or inhibitory GABAAR-mediated post-synaptic currents (sIPSCs). We found that synaptic conditioning (low-frequency stimulation for 15 min at 1 Hz) induced a form of long-term depression (LTD) of evoked AMPAR-mediated EPSCs. The ability to induce LTD was inhibited by a non-selective NMDAR antagonist (DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid), and also by acute, intoxicating concentrations of ethanol. Taken together these data suggest that the glutamate, but not GABA system in the AIC is uniquely sensitive to ethanol, and that in particular NMDAR-mediated processes in the AIC may be disrupted by pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel E Shillinglaw
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Richard A Morrisett
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Regina A Mangieri
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mangieri RA, Maier EY, Buske TR, Lasek AW, Morrisett RA. Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Is a Regulator of Alcohol Consumption and Excitatory Synaptic Plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:533. [PMID: 28860990 PMCID: PMC5559467 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase recently implicated in biochemical, physiological, and behavioral responses to ethanol. Thus, manipulation of ALK signaling may represent a novel approach to treating alcohol use disorder (AUD). Ethanol induces adaptations in glutamatergic synapses onto nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and putative targets for treating AUD may be validated for further development by assessing how their manipulation modulates accumbal glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity. Here, we report that Alk knockout (AlkKO) mice consumed greater doses of ethanol, relative to wild-type (AlkWT) mice, in an operant self-administration model. Using ex vivo electrophysiology to examine excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity at NAcSh MSNs that express dopamine D1 receptors (D1MSNs), we found that the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) in NAcSh D1MSNs was elevated in AlkKO mice and in the presence of an ALK inhibitor, TAE684. Furthermore, when ALK was absent or inhibited, glutamatergic synaptic plasticity – long-term depression of evoked EPSCs – in D1MSNs was attenuated. Thus, loss of ALK activity in mice is associated with elevated ethanol consumption and enhanced excitatory transmission in NAcSh D1MSNs. These findings add to the mounting evidence of a relationship between excitatory synaptic transmission onto NAcSh D1MSNs and ethanol consumption, point toward ALK as one important molecular mediator of this interaction, and further validate ALK as a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX, United States
| | - Esther Y Maier
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX, United States
| | - Tavanna R Buske
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX, United States
| | - Amy W Lasek
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, ChicagoIL, United States
| | - Richard A Morrisett
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Renteria R, Jeanes ZM, Mangieri RA, Maier EY, Kircher DM, Buske TR, Morrisett RA. Using In Vitro Electrophysiology to Screen Medications: Accumbal Plasticity as an Engram of Alcohol Dependence. Int Rev Neurobiol 2016; 126:441-65. [PMID: 27055622 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2016.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a central component of the mesocorticolimbic reward system. Increasing evidence strongly implicates long-term synaptic neuroadaptations in glutamatergic excitatory activity of the NAc shell and/or core medium spiny neurons in response to chronic drug and alcohol exposure. Such neuroadaptations likely play a critical role in the development and expression of drug-seeking behaviors. We have observed unique cell-type-specific bidirectional changes in NAc synaptic plasticity (metaplasticity) following acute and chronic intermittent ethanol exposure. Other investigators have also previously observed similar metaplasticity in the NAc following exposure to psychostimulants, opiates, and amazingly, even following an anhedonia-inducing experience. Considering that the proteome of the postsynaptic density likely contains hundreds of biochemicals, proteins and other components and regulators, we believe that there is a large number of potential molecular sites through which accumbal metaplasticity may be involved in chronic alcohol abuse. Many of our companion laboratories are now engaged in identifying and screening medications targeting candidate genes and its products previously linked to maladaptive alcohol phenotypes. We hypothesize that if manipulation of such target genes and their products change NAc plasticity, then that observation constitutes an important validation step for the development of novel therapeutics to treat alcohol dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Renteria
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Z M Jeanes
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - R A Mangieri
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - E Y Maier
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - D M Kircher
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - T R Buske
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - R A Morrisett
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mangieri RA, Cofresí RU, Gonzales RA. Ethanol exposure interacts with training conditions to influence behavioral adaptation to a negative instrumental contingency. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:220. [PMID: 24987342 PMCID: PMC4060087 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that, in male, Long Evans rats, instrumental lever pressing that had been reinforced during limited training under a variable interval (VI) schedule by oral self-administration of a 10% sucrose/10% ethanol (10S10E) solution was insensitive to devaluation of 10S10E. In contrast, lever pressing that had been reinforced under a variable ratio (VR) schedule, or by self-administration of 10% sucrose (10S) alone, was sensitive to outcome devaluation. The relative insensitivity to outcome devaluation indicated that seeking of 10S10E by the VI-trained rats had become an instrumental habit. In the present study we employed an alternative operational definition of an instrumental habit and compared the effect of reversing the action-outcome contingency on lever press performance by rats trained under the same experimental conditions. Male Long Evans rats received daily operant training, in which lever presses were reinforced by 10S10E or 10S, under VI or VR schedules. After nine sessions of VI or VR training, rats were tested over four sessions in which the instrumental contingency was changed so that a lever press would prevent reinforcer delivery for 120 s. We found that rats that had been trained to lever press for 10S10E under the VR schedule showed a greater change in lever pressing across testing sessions than those that had received 10S10E reinforcement under the VI schedule. There was no such interaction with reinforcement schedule for rats that had received only 10S reinforcement during training. These findings are consistent with those of our previous study, and provide further evidence that addition of ethanol to sucrose may promote habitual responding in an instrumental task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Roberto U Cofresí
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rueben A Gonzales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Valenta JP, Job MO, Mangieri RA, Schier CJ, Howard EC, Gonzales RA. μ-opioid receptors in the stimulation of mesolimbic dopamine activity by ethanol and morphine in Long-Evans rats: a delayed effect of ethanol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 228:389-400. [PMID: 23503684 PMCID: PMC3707954 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3041-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Naltrexone, a non-selective opioid antagonist, decreases the euphoria and positive subjective responses to alcohol in heavy drinkers. It has been proposed that the μ-opioid receptor plays a role in ethanol reinforcement through modulation of ethanol-stimulated mesolimbic dopamine release. OBJECTIVES To investigate the ability of naltrexone and β-funaltrexamine, an irreversible μ-opioid specific antagonist, to inhibit ethanol-stimulated and morphine-stimulated mesolimbic dopamine release, and to determine whether opioid receptors on mesolimbic neurons contribute to these mechanisms. METHODS Ethanol-naïve male Long Evans rats were given opioid receptor antagonists either intravenously, subcutaneously, or intracranially into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), followed by intravenous administration of ethanol or morphine. We measured extracellular dopamine in vivo using microdialysis probes inserted into the nucleus accumbens shell (n = 114). RESULTS Administration of naltrexone (intravenously) and β-funaltrexamine (subcutaneously), as well as intracranial injection of naltrexone into the VTA did not prevent the initiation of dopamine release by intravenous ethanol administration, but prevented it from being as prolonged. In contrast, morphine-stimulated mesolimbic dopamine release was effectively suppressed. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide novel evidence that there are two distinct mechanisms that mediate ethanol-stimulated mesolimbic dopamine release (an initial phase and a delayed phase), and that opioid receptor activation is required to maintain the delayed-phase dopamine release. Moreover, μ-opioid receptors account for this delayed-phase dopamine response, and the VTA is potentially the site of action of this mechanism. We conclude that μ-opioid receptors play different roles in the mechanisms of stimulation of mesolimbic dopamine activity by ethanol and morphine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John P Valenta
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas at Austin, 2409 University Avenue, Stop A1900, Austin, TX 78712-1113, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Schier CJ, Mangieri RA, Dilly GA, Gonzales RA. Microdialysis of ethanol during operant ethanol self-administration and ethanol determination by gas chromatography. J Vis Exp 2012:4142. [PMID: 22986267 PMCID: PMC3490245 DOI: 10.3791/4142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Operant self-administration methods are commonly used to study the behavioral and pharmacological effects of many drugs of abuse, including ethanol. However, ethanol is typically self-administered orally, rather than intravenously like many other drugs of abuse. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered drugs are more complex than intravenously administered drugs. Because understanding the relationship between the pharmacological and behavioral effects of ethanol requires knowledge of the time course of ethanol reaching the brain during and after drinking, we use in vivo microdialysis and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection to monitor brain dialysate ethanol concentrations over time. Combined microdialysis-behavioral experiments involve the use of several techniques. In this article, stereotaxic surgery, behavioral training and microdialysis, which can be adapted to test a multitude of self-administration and neurochemical centered hypotheses, are included only to illustrate how they relate to the subsequent phases of sample collection and dialysate ethanol analysis. Dialysate ethanol concentration analysis via gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection, which is specific to ethanol studies, is described in detail. Data produced by these methods reveal the pattern of ethanol reaching the brain during the self-administration procedure, and when paired with neurochemical analysis of the same dialysate samples, allows conclusions to be made regarding the pharmacological and behavioral effects of ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Schier
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mangieri RA, Hong KIA, Piomelli D, Sinha R. An endocannabinoid signal associated with desire for alcohol is suppressed in recently abstinent alcoholics. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 205:63-72. [PMID: 19343330 PMCID: PMC2715164 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-009-1518-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2008] [Accepted: 03/09/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholics report persistent alcohol craving that is heightened by cognitive cues, stressful situations, and abstinence. The role of endogenous cannabinoids in human alcohol craving--though long suspected--remains elusive. MATERIALS AND METHODS We employed laboratory exposure to stress, alcohol cue, and neutral relaxed situations through guided imagery procedures to evoke alcohol desire and craving in healthy social drinkers (n = 11) and in treatment-engaged, recently abstinent alcoholic subjects (n = 12) and assessed alcohol craving, heart rate, and changes in circulating endocannabinoid levels. Subjective anxiety was also measured as a manipulation check for the procedures. RESULTS In healthy social drinkers, alcohol cue imagery increased circulating levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, whereas neutral and stress-related imagery had no such effect. Notably, baseline and response anandamide levels in these subjects were negatively and positively correlated with self-reported alcohol craving scores, respectively. Cue-induced increases in heart rate were also correlated with anandamide responses. By contrast, no imagery-induced anandamide mobilization was observed in alcoholics, whose baseline anandamide levels were markedly reduced compared to healthy drinkers and were uncorrelated to either alcohol craving or heart rate. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that plasma anandamide levels provide a marker of the desire for alcohol in social drinkers, which is suppressed in recently abstinent alcoholics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, 3101 Gillespie NRF, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bortolato M, Mangieri RA, Fu J, Kim JH, Arguello O, Duranti A, Tontini A, Mor M, Tarzia G, Piomelli D. Antidepressant-like activity of the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 in a rat model of chronic mild stress. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 62:1103-10. [PMID: 17511970 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2006] [Revised: 11/18/2006] [Accepted: 12/02/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid anandamide may be involved in the regulation of emotional reactivity. In particular, it has been shown that pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which catalyzes the intracellular hydrolysis of anandamide, elicits anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like effects in rodents. METHODS We investigated the impact of chronic treatment with the selective FAAH inhibitor, URB597 (also termed KDS-4103), on the outcomes of the chronic mild stress (CMS) in rats, a behavioral model with high isomorphism to human depression. RESULTS Daily administration of URB597 (.3 mg kg(-1), intraperitoneal [IP]) for 5 weeks corrected the reduction in body weight gain and sucrose intake induced by CMS. The antidepressant imipramine (20 mg kg(-1), once daily, IP) produced a similar response, whereas lower doses of URB597 were either marginally effective (.1 mg kg(-1)) or ineffective (.03 mg kg(-1)). Treatment with URB597 (.3 mg kg(-1)) resulted in a profound inhibition of brain FAAH activity in both CMS-exposed and control rats. Furthermore, the drug regimen increased anandamide levels in midbrain, striatum, and thalamus. CONCLUSIONS URB597 exerts antidepressant-like effects in a highly specific and predictive animal model of depression. These effects may depend on the ability of URB597 to enhance anandamide signaling in select regions of the brain.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Amidohydrolases/genetics
- Amidohydrolases/metabolism
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
- Behavior, Animal
- Benzamides/therapeutic use
- Body Weight/drug effects
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/metabolism
- Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators/metabolism
- Carbamates/therapeutic use
- Chronic Disease
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
- Imipramine/therapeutic use
- Lipid Metabolism/drug effects
- Male
- Multivariate Analysis
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/drug therapy
- Stress, Psychological/pathology
- Sucrose/metabolism
- Time Factors
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4260, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mangieri RA, Piomelli D. Enhancement of endocannabinoid signaling and the pharmacotherapy of depression. Pharmacol Res 2007; 56:360-6. [PMID: 17945507 PMCID: PMC2104793 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2007.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2007] [Revised: 08/10/2007] [Accepted: 09/05/2007] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoids are well known modulators of mood and emotional behavior. Current research supports a role for endocannabinoid signaling in the treatment of depression. Changes in levels of the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor or the endogenous CB(1) receptor ligands, anandamide and 2-AG, are observed both in humans suffering from depression and in animal models of depression, and experimental manipulation of CB(1) receptor signaling has also been shown to affect emotional reactivity in rodents. Importantly, inhibitors of anandamide inactivation have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing stress-coping and mood-related behavior. This article will review these areas of research, highlighting the potential of endocannabinoid metabolism modulators as therapeutics for the treatment of depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Drug Discovery, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
La Rana G, Russo R, Campolongo P, Bortolato M, Mangieri RA, Cuomo V, Iacono A, Raso GM, Meli R, Piomelli D, Calignano A. Modulation of Neuropathic and Inflammatory Pain by the Endocannabinoid Transport Inhibitor AM404 [N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide]. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006; 317:1365-71. [PMID: 16510698 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.105.100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system may serve important functions in the central and peripheral regulation of pain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 [N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide] on rodent models of acute and persistent nociception (intraplantar formalin injection in the mouse), neuropathic pain (sciatic nerve ligation in the rat), and inflammatory pain (complete Freund's adjuvant injection in the rat). In the formalin model, administration of AM404 (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) elicited dose-dependent antinociceptive effects, which were prevented by the CB(1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant (SR141716A; 1 mg/kg i.p.) but not by the CB2 antagonist SR144528 (1 mg/kg i.p.) or the vanilloid antagonist capsazepine (30 mg/kg i.p.). Comparable effects were observed with UCM707 [N-(3-furylmethyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide], another anandamide transport inhibitor. In both the chronic constriction injury and complete Freund's adjuvant model, daily treatment with AM404 (1-10 mg/kg s.c.) for 14 days produced a dose-dependent reduction in nocifensive responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, which was prevented by a single administration of rimonabant (1 mg/kg i.p.) and was accompanied by decreased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric-oxide synthase in the sciatic nerve. The results provide new evidence for a role of the endocannabinoid system in pain modulation and point to anandamide transport as a potential target for analgesic drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G La Rana
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, 3101 Gillespie NRF, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4625, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|