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Pereira Luppi M, Azcorra M, Caronia-Brown G, Poulin JF, Gaertner Z, Gatica S, Moreno-Ramos OA, Nouri N, Dubois M, Ma YC, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno L, Kim YS, Deisseroth K, Cicchetti F, Dombeck DA, Awatramani R. Sox6 expression distinguishes dorsally and ventrally biased dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra with distinctive properties and embryonic origins. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109975. [PMID: 34758317 PMCID: PMC8607753 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) degenerate prominently in Parkinson's disease, while those in the dorsal tier are relatively spared. Defining the molecular, functional, and developmental characteristics of each SNc tier is crucial to understand their distinct susceptibility. We demonstrate that Sox6 expression distinguishes ventrally and dorsally biased DA neuron populations in the SNc. The Sox6+ population in the ventral SNc includes an Aldh1a1+ subset and is enriched in gene pathways that underpin vulnerability. Sox6+ neurons project to the dorsal striatum and show activity correlated with acceleration. Sox6- neurons project to the medial, ventral, and caudal striatum and respond to rewards. Moreover, we show that this adult division is encoded early in development. Overall, our work demonstrates a dual origin of the SNc that results in DA neuron cohorts with distinct molecular profiles, projections, and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milagros Pereira Luppi
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maite Azcorra
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Giuliana Caronia-Brown
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jean-Francois Poulin
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zachary Gaertner
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Serafin Gatica
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Navid Nouri
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marilyn Dubois
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yongchao C Ma
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief Fenno
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Seok Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Francesca Cicchetti
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Rajeshwar Awatramani
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Hou X, Qiu Z, Xian Q, Kala S, Jing J, Wong KF, Zhu J, Guo J, Zhu T, Yang M, Sun L. Precise Ultrasound Neuromodulation in a Deep Brain Region Using Nano Gas Vesicles as Actuators. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2101934. [PMID: 34546652 PMCID: PMC8564444 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202101934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound is a promising new modality for non-invasive neuromodulation. Applied transcranially, it can be focused down to the millimeter or centimeter range. The ability to improve the treatment's spatial resolution to a targeted brain region could help to improve its effectiveness, depending upon the application. The present paper details a neurostimulation scheme using gas-filled nanostructures, gas vesicles (GVs), as actuators for improving the efficacy and precision of ultrasound stimuli. Sonicated primary neurons display dose-dependent, repeatable Ca2+ responses, closely synced to stimuli, and increased nuclear expression of the activation marker c-Fos in the presence of GVs. GV-mediated ultrasound triggered rapid and reversible Ca2+ responses in vivo and could selectively evoke neuronal activation in a deep-seated brain region. Further investigation indicate that mechanosensitive ion channels are important mediators of this effect. GVs themselves and the treatment scheme are also found not to induce significant cytotoxicity, apoptosis, or membrane poration in treated cells. Altogether, this study demonstrates a simple and effective method to achieve enhanced and better-targeted neurostimulation with non-invasive low-intensity ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuandi Hou
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Zhihai Qiu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Quanxiang Xian
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Shashwati Kala
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Jianing Jing
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Kin Fung Wong
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Jiejun Zhu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Jinghui Guo
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Ting Zhu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Minyi Yang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
| | - Lei Sun
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomHong Kong SAR999077P. R. China
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3
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Tolve M, Ulusoy A, Patikas N, Islam KUS, Bodea GO, Öztürk E, Broske B, Mentani A, Wagener A, van Loo KMJ, Britsch S, Liu P, Khaled WT, Metzakopian E, Baader SL, Di Monte DA, Blaess S. The transcription factor BCL11A defines distinct subsets of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109697. [PMID: 34525371 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109697] [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: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons are diverse in their projection targets, effect on behavior, and susceptibility to neurodegeneration. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms establishing this diversity during development. We show that the transcription factor BCL11A is expressed in a subset of mDA neurons in the developing and adult murine brain and in a subpopulation of pluripotent-stem-cell-derived human mDA neurons. By combining intersectional labeling and viral-mediated tracing, we demonstrate that Bcl11a-expressing mDA neurons form a highly specific subcircuit within the murine dopaminergic system. In the substantia nigra, the Bcl11a-expressing mDA subset is particularly vulnerable to neurodegeneration upon α-synuclein overexpression or oxidative stress. Inactivation of Bcl11a in murine mDA neurons increases this susceptibility further, alters the distribution of mDA neurons, and results in deficits in skilled motor behavior. In summary, BCL11A defines mDA subpopulations with highly distinctive characteristics and is required for establishing and maintaining their normal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Tolve
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ayse Ulusoy
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Patikas
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - K Ushna S Islam
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Gabriela O Bodea
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ece Öztürk
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Bianca Broske
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Astrid Mentani
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Antonia Wagener
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Karen M J van Loo
- Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan Britsch
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Pengtao Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB 21PD, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Emmanouil Metzakopian
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Stephan L Baader
- Institute of Anatomy, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Donato A Di Monte
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sandra Blaess
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
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Niu S, Shi W, Li Y, Yi S, Li Y, Liu X, Cong B, He G. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Is Associated with the Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neuron Injury in Stressed Rats. Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) 2021; 2021:7852710. [PMID: 34540569 PMCID: PMC8443372 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7852710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of people are in a state of stress due to social and psychological pressures, which may result in mental disorders. Previous studies indicated that mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons are associated with not only reward-related behaviors but also with stress-induced mental disorders. To explore the effect of stress on dopaminergic neuron and potential mechanism, we established stressed rat models of different time durations and observed pathological changes in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through HE and thionine staining. Immunohistochemistry coupled with microscopy-based multicolor tissue cytometry (MMTC) was employed to investigate the number changes of dopaminergic neurons. Double immunofluorescence labelling was used to investigate expression changes of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) protein GRP78 and CHOP in dopaminergic neurons. Our results showed that prolonged stress led to pathological alteration in dopaminergic neurons of VTA, such as missing of Nissl bodies and pyknosis in dopaminergic neurons. Immunohistochemistry with MMTC indicated that chronic stress exposure resulted in a significant decrease in dopaminergic neurons. Double immunofluorescence labelling showed that the endoplasmic reticulum stress protein took part in the injury of dopaminergic neurons. Taken together, these results indicated the involvement of ERS in mesencephalic dopaminergic neuron injury induced by stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiba Niu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Weibo Shi
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Yingmin Li
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Shanyong Yi
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
- School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Yang Li
- Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security People's Republic of China, No. 17 Nanli Mulidi, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Xia Liu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Bin Cong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Guanglong He
- Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security People's Republic of China, No. 17 Nanli Mulidi, Beijing 100038, China
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Lyu S, Guo Y, Zhang L, Tang G, Li R, Yang J, Gao S, Li W, Liu J. Downregulation of astroglial glutamate transporter GLT-1 in the lateral habenula is associated with depressive-like behaviors in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Neuropharmacology 2021; 196:108691. [PMID: 34197892 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies show that neuron-glial communication plays an important role in neurological diseases. Particularly, dysfunction of astroglial glutamate transporter GLT-1 has been involved in various neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and depression. Our previous studies indicated hyperactivity of neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb) of hemiparkinsonian rats with depressive-like behaviors. Thus, we hypothesized that impaired expression or function of GLT-1 in the LHb might be a potential contributor to LHb hyperactivity, which consequently induces PD-related depression. In the study, unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) by 6-hydroxydopamine in rats induced depressive-like behaviors and resulted in neuronal hyperactivity as well as increased glutamate levels in the LHb compared to sham-lesioned rats. Intra-LHb injection of GLT-1 inhibitor WAY-213613 induced the depressive-like behaviors in both groups, but the dose producing behavioral effects in the lesioned rats was lower than that of sham-lesioned rats. In the two groups of rats, WAY-213613 increased the firing rate of LHb neurons and extracellular levels of glutamate, and these excitatory effects in the lesioned rats lasted longer than those in sham-lesioned rats. The functional changes of the GLT-1 which primarily expresses in astrocytes in the LHb may attribute to its downregulation after degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway. Bioinformatics analysis showed that GLT-1 is correlated with various biomarkers of PD and depression risks. Collectively, our study suggests that astroglial GLT-1 in the LHb regulates the firing activity of the neurons, whereupon its downregulation and dysfunction are closely associated with PD-related depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxuan Lyu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yuan Guo
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Guoyi Tang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Ruotong Li
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Shasha Gao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Wenjuan Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China.
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Traccis F, Serra V, Sagheddu C, Congiu M, Saba P, Giua G, Devoto P, Frau R, Cheer JF, Melis M. Prenatal THC Does Not Affect Female Mesolimbic Dopaminergic System in Preadolescent Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041666. [PMID: 33562259 PMCID: PMC7914408 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis use among pregnant women is increasing worldwide along with permissive sociocultural attitudes toward it. Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE), however, is associated with adverse outcome among offspring, ranging from reduced birth weight to child psychopathology. We have previously shown that male rat offspring prenatally exposed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a rat model of PCE, exhibit extensive molecular, cellular, and synaptic changes in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), resulting in a susceptible mesolimbic dopamine system associated with a psychotic-like endophenotype. This phenotype only reveals itself upon a single exposure to THC in males but not females. Here, we characterized the impact of PCE on female behaviors and mesolimbic dopamine system function by combining in vivo single-unit extracellular recordings in anesthetized animals and ex vivo patch clamp recordings, along with neurochemical and behavioral analyses. We find that PCE female offspring do not show any spontaneous or THC-induced behavioral disease-relevant phenotypes. The THC-induced increase in dopamine levels in nucleus accumbens was reduced in PCE female offspring, even when VTA dopamine activity in vivo and ex vivo did not differ compared to control. These findings indicate that PCE impacts mesolimbic dopamine function and its related behavioral domains in a sex-dependent manner and warrant further investigations to decipher the mechanisms determining this sex-related protective effect from intrauterine THC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Traccis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Valeria Serra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Claudia Sagheddu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Mauro Congiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Pierluigi Saba
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Gabriele Giua
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Paola Devoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
| | - Joseph Francois Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Miriam Melis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (F.T.); (V.S.); (C.S.); (M.C.); (P.S.); (G.G.); (P.D.); (R.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-070-675-4322
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7
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Doyle MA, Stark AR, Fejes-Tóth G, Náray-Fejes-Tóth A, Mazei-Robison MS. Behavioral effects of SGK1 knockout in VTA and dopamine neurons. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14751. [PMID: 32901079 PMCID: PMC7478959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71681-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs of abuse cause significant neuroadaptations within the ventral tegmental area (VTA), with alterations in gene expression tied to changes in reward behavior. Serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) transcription, catalytic activity, and phosphorylation are upregulated in the VTA by chronic cocaine or morphine treatment, positioning SGK1 as a critical mediator of reward behavior. Using transgenic mouse models, we investigated the effect of SGK1 knockout in the VTA and in dopamine (DA) neurons to evaluate the necessity of protein expression for natural and drug reward behaviors. SGK1 knockdown in the VTA did not impact reward behaviors. Given VTA cellular heterogeneity, we also investigated a DA neuron-specific SGK1 knockout (KO). DA SGK1 KO significantly decreased body weight of adult mice as well as increased general locomotor activity; however, reward behaviors were similarly unaltered. Given that SGK1 mutants virally overexpressed in the VTA are capable of altering drug-associated behavior, our current results suggest that changes in SGK1 protein signaling may be distinct from expression. This work yields novel information on the impact of SGK1 deletion, critical for understanding the role of SGK1 signaling in the central nervous system and evaluating SGK1 as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Doyle
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Rd, ISTB 5017, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Ali R Stark
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Rd, ISTB 5017, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Geza Fejes-Tóth
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Dartmouth University, Hanover, USA
| | | | - Michelle S Mazei-Robison
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Rd, ISTB 5017, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
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Awogbindin IO, Adedara IA, Adeniyi PA, Agedah AE, Oyetunde BF, Olorunkalu PD, Ogbuewu E, Akindoyeni IA, Mustapha YE, Ezekiel OG, Farombi EO. Nigral and ventral tegmental area lesioning induces testicular and sperm morphological abnormalities in a rotenone model of Parkinson's disease. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 78:103412. [PMID: 32439558 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2020.103412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although sexual health is affected by Parkinson's disease (PD), the effect on testicular health and/or sperm quality is not well discussed. After 21 days of rotenone lesioning, we observed dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra and hypothalamus. There were minimal SPACA-1-expressing epididymal spermatozoa with morphological abnormalities, scanty luminal spermatozoa and reduced testicular spermatids and post-meiotic germ cells indicating hypospermatogenesis. Occludin-expressing sertoli cells were dispersed over a wide area indicating compromised blood-testes barrier. Activated caspase-3 expression was intense while immunoreactivity of spermatogenic-enhancing SRY and GADD45 g was weak. Although serum follicle stimulating hormone level was not affected, the lesion was associated with reduced serum testosterone level, testicular oxidative damage and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, even when rotenone was not detected in the testes. Together, dopaminergic lesions may mediate testicular and sperm abnormalities via the brain-hypothalamic-testicular circuit independent of the pituitary, thereby establishing a causal link between Parkinsonism and reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifeoluwa O Awogbindin
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Isaac A Adedara
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Philip A Adeniyi
- Cell Biology and Neurotoxicity Unit, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Alberta E Agedah
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Bisola F Oyetunde
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Precious D Olorunkalu
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Ogbuewu
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Inioluwa A Akindoyeni
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Yusuf E Mustapha
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluwatoyin G Ezekiel
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ebenezer O Farombi
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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9
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Qu N, He Y, Wang C, Xu P, Yang Y, Cai X, Liu H, Yu K, Pei Z, Hyseni I, Sun Z, Fukuda M, Li Y, Tian Q, Xu Y. A POMC-originated circuit regulates stress-induced hypophagia, depression, and anhedonia. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1006-1021. [PMID: 31485012 PMCID: PMC7056580 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress causes dysregulations of mood and energy homeostasis, but the neurocircuitry underlying these alterations remain to be fully elucidated. Here we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress in mice results in hyperactivity of pro-opiomelanocortin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (POMCARH neurons) associated with decreased neural activities of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (DAVTA neurons). We further revealed that POMCARH neurons project to the VTA and provide an inhibitory tone to DAVTA neurons via both direct and indirect neurotransmissions. Finally, we show that photoinhibition of the POMCARH→VTA circuit in mice increases body weight and food intake, and reduces depression-like behaviors and anhedonia in mice exposed to chronic restraint stress. Thus, our results identified a novel neurocircuitry regulating feeding and mood in response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Qu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430012, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanlin He
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chunmei Wang
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pingwen Xu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yongjie Yang
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xing Cai
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hesong Liu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kaifan Yu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhou Pei
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ilirjana Hyseni
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zheng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Makoto Fukuda
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430012, Wuhan, China
- Research Center for Psychological and Health Sciences, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Tian
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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10
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Benkert J, Hess S, Roy S, Beccano-Kelly D, Wiederspohn N, Duda J, Simons C, Patil K, Gaifullina A, Mannal N, Dragicevic E, Spaich D, Müller S, Nemeth J, Hollmann H, Deuter N, Mousba Y, Kubisch C, Poetschke C, Striessnig J, Pongs O, Schneider T, Wade-Martins R, Patel S, Parlato R, Frank T, Kloppenburg P, Liss B. Cav2.3 channels contribute to dopaminergic neuron loss in a model of Parkinson's disease. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5094. [PMID: 31704946 PMCID: PMC6841684 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra causes the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The mechanisms underlying this age-dependent and region-selective neurodegeneration remain unclear. Here we identify Cav2.3 channels as regulators of nigral neuronal viability. Cav2.3 transcripts were more abundant than other voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in mouse nigral neurons and upregulated during aging. Plasmalemmal Cav2.3 protein was higher than in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area, which do not degenerate in Parkinson's disease. Cav2.3 knockout reduced activity-associated nigral somatic Ca2+ signals and Ca2+-dependent after-hyperpolarizations, and afforded full protection from degeneration in vivo in a neurotoxin Parkinson's mouse model. Cav2.3 deficiency upregulated transcripts for NCS-1, a Ca2+-binding protein implicated in neuroprotection. Conversely, NCS-1 knockout exacerbated nigral neurodegeneration and downregulated Cav2.3. Moreover, NCS-1 levels were reduced in a human iPSC-model of familial Parkinson's. Thus, Cav2.3 and NCS-1 may constitute potential therapeutic targets for combatting Ca2+-dependent neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Benkert
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Hess
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Shoumik Roy
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dayne Beccano-Kelly
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Johanna Duda
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carsten Simons
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Komal Patil
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Nadja Mannal
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elena Dragicevic
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Desirée Spaich
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sonja Müller
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Julia Nemeth
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Helene Hollmann
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nora Deuter
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Yassine Mousba
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Kubisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Joerg Striessnig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Olaf Pongs
- Institute of Physiology, CIPMM, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Toni Schneider
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sandip Patel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Rosanna Parlato
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tobias Frank
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Kloppenburg
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Birgit Liss
- Institute of Applied Physiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
- New College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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11
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Geugies H, Mocking RJT, Figueroa CA, Groot PFC, Marsman JBC, Servaas MN, Steele JD, Schene AH, Ruhé HG. Impaired reward-related learning signals in remitted unmedicated patients with recurrent depression. Brain 2019; 142:2510-2522. [PMID: 31280309 PMCID: PMC6734943 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the core symptoms of major depressive disorder is anhedonia, an inability to experience pleasure. In patients with major depressive disorder, a dysfunctional reward-system may exist, with blunted temporal difference reward-related learning signals in the ventral striatum and increased temporal difference-related (dopaminergic) activation in the ventral tegmental area. Anhedonia often remains as residual symptom during remission; however, it remains largely unknown whether the abovementioned reward systems are still dysfunctional when patients are in remission. We used a Pavlovian classical conditioning functional MRI task to explore the relationship between anhedonia and the temporal difference-related response of the ventral tegmental area and ventral striatum in medication-free remitted recurrent depression patients (n = 36) versus healthy control subjects (n = 27). Computational modelling was used to obtain the expected temporal difference errors during this task. Patients, compared to healthy controls, showed significantly increased temporal difference reward learning activation in the ventral tegmental area (PFWE,SVC = 0.028). No differences were observed between groups for ventral striatum activity. A group × anhedonia interaction [t(57) = -2.29, P = 0.026] indicated that in patients, higher anhedonia was associated with lower temporal difference activation in the ventral tegmental area, while in healthy controls higher anhedonia was associated with higher ventral tegmental area activation. These findings suggest impaired reward-related learning signals in the ventral tegmental area during remission in patients with depression. This merits further investigation to identify impaired reward-related learning as an endophenotype for recurrent depression. Moreover, the inverse association between reinforcement learning and anhedonia in patients implies an additional disturbing influence of anhedonia on reward-related learning or vice versa, suggesting that the level of anhedonia should be considered in behavioural treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke Geugies
- University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Roel J T Mocking
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline A Figueroa
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Warneford Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Paul F C Groot
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Bernard C Marsman
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle N Servaas
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Douglas Steele
- Medical School (Neuroscience), University of Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Aart H Schene
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Henricus G Ruhé
- University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Warneford Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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12
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Simmons SC, Wheeler K, Mazei-Robison MS. Determination of circuit-specific morphological adaptations in ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons by chronic morphine. Mol Brain 2019; 12:10. [PMID: 30736837 PMCID: PMC6368752 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0435-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic opiate exposure induces neuroadaptations in the mesocorticolimbic system including ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons, whose soma size is decreased following opiate exposure. Yet it is now well documented that VTA DA neurons are heterogeneous, with notable differences between VTA DA neurons based on their projection target. Therefore, we sought to determine whether chronic morphine induced similar changes in the morphology of VTA DA neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). We utilized Cre-dependent retrograde viral vectors in DA Cre driver lines to label VTA DA neurons that projected to NAc and PFC and assessed neuronal soma size. Consistent with previous data, the soma size of VTA DA neurons that projected to the NAc medial shell was decreased following morphine exposure. However, soma size of VTA DA neurons that projected to the NAc core was unaltered by morphine. Interestingly, morphology of PFC-projecting VTA DA neurons was also altered by morphine, but in this case soma size was increased compared to sham controls. Differences in basal soma size were also noted, suggesting stable differences in projection-specific morphology in addition to drug-induced changes. Together, these data suggest morphine-induced changes in VTA DA morphology occur within distinct VTA DA populations and that study of opiate-induced structural plasticity of individual VTA DA subcircuits may be critical for understanding addiction-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Simmons
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road, BPS 3182, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Katie Wheeler
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road, BPS 3182, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Michelle S Mazei-Robison
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road, BPS 3182, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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13
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You C, Savarese A, Vandegrift BJ, He D, Pandey SC, Lasek AW, Brodie MS. Ethanol acts on KCNK13 potassium channels in the ventral tegmental area to increase firing rate and modulate binge-like drinking. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:29-36. [PMID: 30332606 PMCID: PMC6286249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol excitation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is important in neurobiological processes related to the development of alcoholism. The ionotropic receptors on VTA neurons that mediate ethanol-induced excitation have not been identified. Quinidine blocks ethanol excitation of VTA neurons, and blockade of two-pore potassium channels is among the actions of quinidine. Therefore two-pore potassium channels in the VTA may be potential targets for the action of ethanol. Here, we explored whether ethanol activation of VTA neurons is mediated by the two-pore potassium channel KCNK13. Extracellular recordings of the response of VTA neurons to ethanol were performed in combination with knockdown of Kcnk13 using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in C57BL/6 J mice. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to examine expression of this channel in the VTA. Finally, the role of KCNK13 in binge-like drinking was examined in the drinking in the dark test after knockdown of the channel. Kcnk13 expression in the VTA was increased by acute ethanol exposure. Ethanol-induced excitation of VTA neurons was selectively reduced by shRNA targeting Kcnk13. Importantly, knockdown of Kcnk13 in the VTA resulted in increased alcohol drinking. These results are consistent with the idea that ethanol stimulates VTA neurons at least in part by inhibiting KCNK13, a specific two-pore potassium channel, and that KCNK13 can control both VTA neuronal activity and binge drinking. KCNK13 is a novel alcohol-sensitive molecular target and may be amenable to the development of pharmacotherapies for alcoholism treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang You
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Antonia Savarese
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Bertha J Vandegrift
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Donghong He
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Amy W Lasek
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Mark S Brodie
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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14
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Fernandez SP, Broussot L, Marti F, Contesse T, Mouska X, Soiza-Reilly M, Marie H, Faure P, Barik J. Mesopontine cholinergic inputs to midbrain dopamine neurons drive stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4449. [PMID: 30361503 PMCID: PMC6202358 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06809-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful life events are primary environmental factors that markedly contribute to depression by triggering brain cellular maladaptations. Dysregulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons has been causally linked to the appearance of social withdrawal and anhedonia, two classical manifestations of depression. However, the relevant inputs that shape these dopamine signals remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that chronic social defeat (CSD) stress, a preclinical paradigm of depression, causes marked hyperactivity of laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) excitatory neurons that project to the VTA. Selective chemogenetic-mediated inhibition of cholinergic LDTg neurons prevent CSD-induced VTA DA neurons dysregulation and depressive-like behaviors. Pro-depressant outcomes are replicated by pairing activation of LDTg cholinergic terminals in the VTA with a moderate stress. Prevention of CSD outcomes are recapitulated by blocking corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 within the LDTg. These data uncover a neuro-circuitry of depressive-like disorders and demonstrate that stress, via a neuroendocrine signal, profoundly dysregulates the LDTg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian P Fernandez
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France.
| | - Loïc Broussot
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Fabio Marti
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, INSERM U1130, CNRS, UMR 8246, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Contesse
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Xavier Mouska
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Mariano Soiza-Reilly
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM, UMRS-839, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Marie
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Philippe Faure
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, INSERM U1130, CNRS, UMR 8246, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Barik
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France.
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15
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Kramer DJ, Risso D, Kosillo P, Ngai J, Bateup HS. Combinatorial Expression of Grp and Neurod6 Defines Dopamine Neuron Populations with Distinct Projection Patterns and Disease Vulnerability. eNeuro 2018; 5:ENEURO.0152-18.2018. [PMID: 30135866 PMCID: PMC6104179 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0152-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine neurons project to numerous targets throughout the brain to modulate various behaviors and brain states. Within this small population of neurons exists significant heterogeneity based on physiology, circuitry, and disease susceptibility. Recent studies have shown that dopamine neurons can be subdivided based on gene expression; however, the extent to which genetic markers represent functionally relevant dopaminergic subpopulations has not been fully explored. Here we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of mouse dopamine neurons and validated studies showing that Neurod6 and Grp are selective markers for dopaminergic subpopulations. Using a combination of multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization, retrograde labeling, and electrophysiology in mice of both sexes, we defined the anatomy, projection targets, physiological properties, and disease vulnerability of dopamine neurons based on Grp and/or Neurod6 expression. We found that the combinatorial expression of Grp and Neurod6 defines dopaminergic subpopulations with unique features. Grp+/Neurod6+ dopamine neurons reside in the ventromedial VTA, send projections to the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens, and have noncanonical physiological properties. Grp+/Neurod6- dopamine neurons are found in the VTA as well as in the ventromedial portion of the SNc, where they project selectively to the dorsomedial striatum. Grp-/Neurod6+ dopamine neurons represent a smaller VTA subpopulation, which is preferentially spared in a 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease. Together, our work provides detailed characterization of Neurod6 and Grp expression in the midbrain and generates new insights into how these markers define functionally relevant dopaminergic subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Kramer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Davide Risso
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Polina Kosillo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - John Ngai
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Helen S. Bateup
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
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16
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Tang X, Jiao L, Zheng M, Yan Y, Nie Q, Wu T, Wan X, Zhang G, Li Y, Wu S, Jiang B, Cai H, Xu P, Duan J, Lin X. Tau Deficiency Down-Regulated Transcription Factor Orthodenticle Homeobox 2 Expression in the Dopaminergic Neurons in Ventral Tegmental Area and Caused No Obvious Motor Deficits in Mice. Neuroscience 2018; 373:52-59. [PMID: 29337233 PMCID: PMC5819331 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.01.002] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tau protein participates in microtubule stabilization, axonal transport, and protein trafficking. Loss of normal tau function will exert a negative effect. However, current knowledge on the impact of tau deficiency on the motor behavior and related neurobiological changes is controversial. In this study, we examined motor functions and analyzed several proteins implicated in the maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons (mDANs) function of adult and aged tau+/+, tau+/-, tau-/- mice. We found tau deficiency could not induce significant motor disorders. However, we discovered lower expression levels of transcription factors Orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2) of mDANs in older aged mice. Compared with age-matched tau+/+ mice, there were 54.1% lower (p = 0.0192) OTX2 protein (OTX2-fluorescence intensity) in VTA DA neurons of tau+/- mice and 43.6% lower (p = 0.0249) OTX2 protein in VTA DA neurons of tau-/- mice at 18 months old. Combined with the relevant reports, our results suggested that tau deficiency alone might not be enough to mimic the pathology of Parkinson's disease. However, OTX2 down-regulation indicates that mDANs of tau-deficient mice will be more sensitive to toxic damage from MPTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Tang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Luyan Jiao
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Meige Zheng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Qi Nie
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiaomei Wan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Guofeng Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Song Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Huaibin Cai
- Transgenics Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Pingyi Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong 510120, China.
| | - Jinhai Duan
- Department of Neurology & Guangdong Institute of Geriatrics, Guangdong General Hospital, #106, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guanzhou 510080, China.
| | - Xian Lin
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Anatomy & Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, #74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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17
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Watanabe M, Narita M, Hamada Y, Yamashita A, Tamura H, Ikegami D, Kondo T, Shinzato T, Shimizu T, Fukuchi Y, Muto A, Okano H, Yamanaka A, Tawfik VL, Kuzumaki N, Navratilova E, Porreca F, Narita M. Activation of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons reverses pathological allodynia resulting from nerve injury or bone cancer. Mol Pain 2018; 14:1744806918756406. [PMID: 29357732 PMCID: PMC5802605 DOI: 10.1177/1744806918756406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain induced by nerve damage due to trauma or invasion of cancer to the bone elicits severe ongoing pain as well as hyperalgesia and allodynia likely reflecting adaptive changes within central circuits that amplify nociceptive signals. The present study explored the possible contribution of the mesolimbic dopaminergic circuit in promoting allodynia related to neuropathic and cancer pain. Mice with ligation of the sciatic nerve or treated with intrafemoral osteosarcoma cells showed allodynia to a thermal stimulus applied to the paw on the injured side. Patch clamp electrophysiology revealed that the intrinsic neuronal excitability of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (N.Acc.) was significantly reduced in those mice. We used tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-cre mice that were microinjected with adeno-associated virus (AAV) to express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) to allow optogenetic stimulation of VTA dopaminergic neurons in the VTA or in their N.Acc. terminals. Optogenetic activation of these cells produced a significant but transient anti-allodynic effect in nerve injured or tumor-bearing mice without increasing response thresholds to thermal stimulation in sham-operated animals. Suppressed activity of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons is likely to contribute to decreased inhibition of N.Acc. output neurons and to neuropathic or cancer pain-induced allodynia suggesting strategies for modulation of pathological pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moe Watanabe
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiko Narita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hamada
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Yamashita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Tamura
- Life Science Tokyo Advanced Research Center (L-StaR), Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daigo Ikegami
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Takashige Kondo
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuto Shinzato
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takatsune Shimizu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumi Fukuchi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Muto
- Department of Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Life Science Tokyo Advanced Research Center (L-StaR), Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Vivianne L Tawfik
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Naoko Kuzumaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Edita Navratilova
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Frank Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Minoru Narita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Life Science Tokyo Advanced Research Center (L-StaR), Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Coimbra B, Soares-Cunha C, Borges S, Vasconcelos NAP, Sousa N, Rodrigues AJ. Impairments in laterodorsal tegmentum to VTA projections underlie glucocorticoid-triggered reward deficits. eLife 2017; 6:e25843. [PMID: 28837419 PMCID: PMC5576484 DOI: 10.7554/elife.25843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) activity is critical for reward/reinforcement and is tightly modulated by the laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT). In utero exposure to glucocorticoids (iuGC) triggers prominent motivation deficits but nothing is known about the impact of this exposure in the LDT-VTA circuit. We show that iuGC-rats have long-lasting changes in cholinergic markers in the LDT, together with a decrease in LDT basal neuronal activity. Interestingly, upon LDT stimulation, iuGC animals present a decrease in the magnitude of excitation and an increase in VTA inhibition, as a result of a shift in the type of cells that respond to the stimulus. In agreement with LDT-VTA dysfunction, we show that iuGC animals present motivational deficits that are rescued by selective optogenetic activation of this pathway. Importantly, we also show that LDT-VTA optogenetic stimulation is reinforcing, and that iuGC animals are more susceptible to the reinforcing properties of LDT-VTA stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Sónia Borges
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Nivaldo AP Vasconcelos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
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Rajakumar B, Flumerfelt BA, Hrycyshyn AW, Rajakumar N. Nitric Oxide-Containing Neurons in Long-Term Grafts in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease. Cell Transplant 2017; 16:449-59. [PMID: 17708335 DOI: 10.3727/000000007783464975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The role that nitric oxide may play in modulating graft function in long-term fetal ventral mesencephalic grafts in an animal model of Parkinson's disease was investigated. Mature grafts harvested from the entire fetal ventral mesencephalon possessed a large number of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)/NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons throughout the graft intermingled with dopaminergic neurons. The morphological and neurochemical characteristics of these NADPH-diaphorase neurons resembled those in centers adjacent to the substantia nigra of adult brain but not that of the striatum. Pretreatment with the nNOS blocker, 7-nitroindazole, resulted in contralateral rotations following methamphetamine challenge in long-term grafted animals that previously showed normalized rotational behavior. In contrast, mature grafts derived from fetal ventral mesencephalon without the midline areas possessed only a few nNOS-containing neurons within the grafts, and a similar methamphetamine challenge following 7-nitroindazole pretreatment in long-term grafted rats that previously showed normalized rotational behavior resulted in random movements. Our results indicate that nitric oxide-containing neurons inadvertently included during grafting may affect graft function, and excluding the midline areas of the ventral mesencephalon during tissue harvesting may minimize this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Rajakumar
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Macht VA, Kelly SJ, Gass JT. Sex-specific effects of developmental alcohol exposure on cocaine-induced place preference in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2017; 332:259-268. [PMID: 28600000 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is associated with high rates of drug addiction in adulthood. One possible basis for increased drug use in this population is altered sensitivity to drug-associated contexts. This experiment utilized a rat model of FASD to examine behavioral and neural changes in the processing of drug cues in adulthood. Alcohol was given by intragastric intubation to pregnant rats throughout gestation and to rat pups during the early postnatal period (ET group). Controls consisted of a non-treated group (NC) and a pair-fed group given the intubation procedure without alcohol (IC). On postnatal day (PD) 90, rats from all treatment groups were given saline, 0.3mg/kg, 3.0mg/kg, or 10.0mg/kg cocaine pairings with a specific context in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. While control animals of both sexes showed cocaine CPP at the 3.0 and 10.0mg/kg doses, ET females also showed cocaine CPP at 0.3mg/kg. This was accompanied by a decrease in c-Fos/GAD67 cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and GAD67-only cells in the NAc shell and PFC at this 0.3mg/kg dose. ET males failed to show cocaine CPP at the 3.0mg/kg dose. This was associated with an increase in c-Fos only-labeled cells in the NAc core and PFC at this 3.0mg/kg dose. These results suggest that developmental alcohol exposure has a sexually-dimorphic effect on cocaine's conditioning effects in adulthood and the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Macht
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Sandra J Kelly
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Justin T Gass
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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21
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Cao J, Nesil T, Wang S, Chang SL, Li MD. Expression profile of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in the brain of HIV-1 transgenic rats given chronic nicotine treatment. J Neurovirol 2016; 22:626-633. [PMID: 27056721 PMCID: PMC5574164 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-016-0438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Abuse of addictive substances, including cigarettes, is much greater in HIV-1-infected individuals than in the general population and challenges the efficiency of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). The HIV-1 transgenic (HIV-1Tg) rat, an animal model used to study drug addiction in HIV-1-infected patients on HAART, displays abnormal neurobehavioral responses to addictive substances. Given that the cholinergic system plays an essential part in the central reward circuitry, we evaluated the expression profile of nine nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit genes in the central nervous system (CNS) of HIV-1Tg rats. We found that nAChR subunits were differentially expressed in various brain regions in HIV-1Tg rats compared to F344 control rats, with more subunits altered in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the HIV-1Tg rats than in other brain regions. We also found that chronic nicotine treatment (0.4 mg/kg/day) decreased the mRNA expression of nAChR subunits α6, β3, and β4 in the VTA of HIV-1Tg rats, whereas expression of α4 and α6 subunits in the NAc increased. No such changes were observed in F344 rats. Together, our data suggest that HIV-1 proteins alter the expression of nAChRs, which may contribute to the vulnerability to cigarette smoking addiction in HIV-1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junran Cao
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Tanseli Nesil
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Shaolin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Sulie L Chang
- Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
| | - Ming D Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
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22
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Tarasova TV, Ustyugov AA, Ninkina NN, Skvortsova VI. The new line of genetically modified mice with constitutive knockout of the gene alpha synuclein to study pathogenetic aspects of differential loss of dopaminergic neurons . Patol Fiziol Eksp Ter 2016; 60:4-9. [PMID: 29243900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
THE PURPOSE This study investigated the role of alpha-synuclein in the development of dopaminergic neurons. METHODS In this study a new SNCA knockout mouse line has been used to model the deficiency of alpha-synuclein function. In the knockout and control mice the dynamics of the formation of two distinct populations of dopaminergic neurons differently affected in patients with PD was studied by the comparative morphometric analysis. RESULTS Here, we revealed a prominent modulating effect of alpha-synuclein on the developing DA neurons in substantia nigra (SN) which is the most affected region in PD patients. Yet, alpha-synuclein had no effect on the formation of DA neurons in ventral tegmental area which is much less susceptible to degeneration in PD patients. CONCLUSION The new line of knockout mice is a convenient model for studying pathophysiologic aspects of selective impairment of DA neurons.
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Schindler AG, Soden ME, Zweifel LS, Clark JJ. Reversal of Alcohol-Induced Dysregulation in Dopamine Network Dynamics May Rescue Maladaptive Decision-making. J Neurosci 2016; 36:3698-708. [PMID: 27030756 PMCID: PMC4812130 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4394-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among adolescents, promoting the development of substance use disorders and compromised decision-making in adulthood. We have previously demonstrated, with a preclinical model in rodents, that adolescent alcohol use results in adult risk-taking behavior that positively correlates with phasic dopamine transmission in response to risky options, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that adolescent alcohol use may produce maladaptive decision-making through a disruption in dopamine network dynamics via increased GABAergic transmission within the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Indeed, we find that increased phasic dopamine signaling after adolescent alcohol use is attributable to a midbrain circuit, including the input from the pedunculopontine tegmentum to the VTA. Moreover, we demonstrate that VTA dopamine neurons from adult rats exhibit enhanced IPSCs after adolescent alcohol exposure corresponding to decreased basal dopamine levels in adulthood that negatively correlate with risk-taking. Building on these findings, we develop a model where increased inhibitory tone on dopamine neurons leads to a persistent decrease in tonic dopamine levels and results in a potentiation of stimulus-evoked phasic dopamine release that may drive risky choice behavior. Based on this model, we take a pharmacological approach to the reversal of risk-taking behavior through normalization of this pattern in dopamine transmission. These results isolate the underlying circuitry involved in alcohol-induced maladaptive decision-making and identify a novel therapeutic target. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT One of the primary problems resulting from chronic alcohol use is persistent, maladaptive decision-making that is associated with ongoing addiction vulnerability and relapse. Indeed, studies with the Iowa Gambling Task, a standard measure of risk-based decision-making, have reliably shown that alcohol-dependent individuals make riskier, more maladaptive choices than nondependent individuals, even after periods of prolonged abstinence. Using a preclinical model, in the current work, we identify a selective disruption in dopamine network dynamics that may promote maladaptive decision-making after chronic adolescent alcohol use and demonstrate its pharmacological reversal in adulthood. Together, these results highlight a novel neural mechanism underlying heightened risk-taking behavior in alcohol-dependent individuals and provide a potential therapeutic target for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta E Soden
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Abstract
The synthetic progestin, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate, is increasingly used for the prevention of premature birth in at-risk women, despite little understanding of the potential effects on the developing brain. Rodent models suggest that many regions of the developing brain are sensitive to progestins, including the mesocortical dopamine pathway, a neural circuit important for complex cognitive behaviors later in life. Nuclear progesterone receptor is expressed during perinatal development in dopaminergic cells of the ventral tegmental area that project to the medial prefrontal cortex. Progesterone receptor is also expressed in the subplate and in pyramidal cell layers II/III of medial prefrontal cortex during periods of dopaminergic synaptogenesis. In the present study, exposure to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate during development of the mesocortical dopamine pathway in rats altered dopaminergic innervation of the prelimbic prefrontal cortex and impaired cognitive flexibility with increased perseveration later in life, perhaps to a greater extent in males. These studies provide evidence for developmental neurobehavioral effects of a drug in widespread clinical use and highlight the need for a reevaluation of the benefits and potential outcomes of prophylactic progestin administration for the prevention of premature delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research (J.W., C.K.W.), University at Albany, Albany, New York 12222; and Department of Psychology (J.W.), Behavioral Neuroscience Division, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820
| | - Christine K Wagner
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research (J.W., C.K.W.), University at Albany, Albany, New York 12222; and Department of Psychology (J.W.), Behavioral Neuroscience Division, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820
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25
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Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that the central dopaminergic system is implicated in the mechanism underlying general anesthesia. Here, we investigated whether dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons participate in general anesthesia. Dopaminergic VTA neurons were selectively ablated from male Sprague Dawley rats via the bilateral infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the VTA. Two weeks after infusion, the number of dopaminergic neurons in the bilateral VTA was markedly reduced in the 6-OHDA-treated rats compared with the vehicle-treated rats. These bilateral VTA lesions significantly prolonged the recovery time for propofol but did not significantly alter its onset time or 50% effective dose (ED50) value. In addition, the anesthetic responses to isoflurane and ketamine were unaffected by the VTA lesions. Our findings suggested that dopaminergic VTA neurons might be involved in the emergence from propofol anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelong Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Yin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Tai Zhou People’s Hospital, Taizhou, 225300, China
| | - Chenjing Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Min Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Mei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - LiNa Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Min Yan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
- * E-mail:
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26
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Hipólito L, Wilson-Poe A, Campos-Jurado Y, Zhong E, Gonzalez-Romero J, Virag L, Whittington R, Comer SD, Carlton SM, Walker BM, Bruchas MR, Morón JA. Inflammatory Pain Promotes Increased Opioid Self-Administration: Role of Dysregulated Ventral Tegmental Area μ Opioid Receptors. J Neurosci 2015; 35:12217-31. [PMID: 26338332 PMCID: PMC4556787 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1053-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [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: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain management in opioid abusers engenders ethical and practical difficulties for clinicians, often resulting in pain mismanagement. Although chronic opioid administration may alter pain states, the presence of pain itself may alter the propensity to self-administer opioids, and previous history of drug abuse comorbid with chronic pain promotes higher rates of opioid misuse. Here, we tested the hypothesis that inflammatory pain leads to increased heroin self-administration resulting from altered mu opioid receptor (MOR) regulation of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) transmission. To this end, the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model of inflammation was used to assess the neurochemical and functional changes induced by inflammatory pain on MOR-mediated mesolimbic DA transmission and on rat intravenous heroin self-administration under fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. In the presence of inflammatory pain, heroin intake under an FR schedule was increased for high, but attenuated for low, heroin doses with concomitant alterations in mesolimbic MOR function suggested by DA microdialysis. Consistent with the reduction in low dose FR heroin self-administration, inflammatory pain reduced motivation for a low dose of heroin, as measured by responding under a PR schedule of reinforcement, an effect dissociable from high heroin dose PR responding. Together, these results identify a connection between inflammatory pain and loss of MOR function in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway that increases intake of high doses of heroin. These findings suggest that pain-induced loss of MOR function in the mesolimbic pathway may promote opioid dose escalation and contribute to opioid abuse-associated phenotypes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study provides critical new insights that show that inflammatory pain alters heroin intake through a desensitization of MORs located within the VTA. These findings expand our knowledge of the interactions between inflammatory pain and opioid abuse liability, and should help to facilitate the development of novel and safer opioid-based strategies for treating chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Hipólito
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | | | - Yolanda Campos-Jurado
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnología Farmacèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Farmàcia, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain
| | - Elaine Zhong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | | | - Laszlo Virag
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Robert Whittington
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Sandra D Comer
- Department of Psychiatry, Division on Substance Abuse, New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Susan M Carlton
- Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77555
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Department of Psychology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, and
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032,
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Rice MW, Smith KL, Roberts RC, Perez-Costas E, Melendez-Ferro M. Assessment of cytochrome C oxidase dysfunction in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area in schizophrenia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100054. [PMID: 24941246 PMCID: PMC4062438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Perturbations in metabolism are a well-documented but complex facet of schizophrenia pathology. Optimal cellular performance requires the proper functioning of the electron transport chain, which is constituted by four enzymes located within the inner membrane of mitochondria. These enzymes create a proton gradient that is used to power the enzyme ATP synthase, producing ATP, which is crucial for the maintenance of cellular functioning. Anomalies in a single enzyme of the electron transport chain are sufficient to cause disruption of cellular metabolism. The last of these complexes is the cytochrome c oxidase (COX) enzyme, which is composed of thirteen different subunits. COX is a major site for oxidative phosphorylation, and anomalies in this enzyme are one of the most frequent causes of mitochondrial pathology. The objective of the present report was to assess if metabolic anomalies linked to COX dysfunction may contribute to substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA) pathology in schizophrenia. We tested COX activity in postmortem SN/VTA from schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls. We also tested the protein expression of key subunits for the assembly and activity of the enzyme, and the effect of antipsychotic medication on subunit expression. COX activity was not significantly different between schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls. However, we found significant decreases in the expression of subunits II and IV-I of COX in schizophrenia. Interestingly, these decreases were observed in samples containing the entire rostro-caudal extent of the SN/VTA, while no significant differences were observed for samples containing only mid-caudal regions of the SN/VTA. Finally, rats chronically treated with antipsychotic drugs did not show significant changes in COX subunit expression. These findings suggest that COX subunit expression may be compromised in specific sub-regions of the SN/VTA (i.e. rostral regions), which may lead to a faulty assembly of the enzyme and a greater vulnerability to metabolic insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Rice
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Kristen L. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Rosalinda C. Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Emma Perez-Costas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Miguel Melendez-Ferro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE The neurobiologic basis of late-life depressive symptoms is not well understood. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that neurodegeneration and neuronal density in brainstem aminergic nuclei are related to late-life depressive symptoms. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND EXPOSURE: Longitudinal clinicopathological cohort study at residences of participants in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area. Participants included 124 older persons without dementia in the Rush Memory and Aging Project who had annual evaluations for a mean (SD) of 5.7 (2.8) years, died, and underwent a postmortem neuropathological examination that provided estimates of the densities of Lewy bodies, neurofibrillary tangles, and aminergic neurons in the locus ceruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The number of depressive symptoms (mean [SD], 1.61 [1.48]; range, 0-6; skewness, 0.94) on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale averaged across annual evaluations. RESULTS Brainstem Lewy bodies were associated with depressive symptoms, and the association was attenuated in those taking antidepressant medication. Brainstem tangles were associated with more depressive symptoms in those without cognitive impairment but with fewer symptoms in those with mild cognitive impairment. Lower density of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the ventral tegmental area was robustly associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms (mean [SE] estimate, -0.014 [0.003]; P < .001; 16.3% increase in adjusted R2). The association was not modified by medication use or cognitive impairment. Neither tyrosine hydroxlyase-immunoreactive neurons in the locus ceruleus nor tryptophan hydroxlyase-immunoreactive neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus were related to depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results suggest that the mesolimbic dopamine system, especially the ventral tegmental area, has an important role in late-life depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Wilson
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois2Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois3Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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29
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Abstract
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric condition defined by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) associated with compensatory and repetitive behaviour (compulsions). However, advancement in our understanding of this disorder has been hampered by the absence of effective animal models and correspondingly analysis of the physiological changes that may be present in these models. To address this, we have evaluated two current rodent models of OCD; repeated injection of dopamine D2 agonist quinpirole and repeated adolescent injection of the tricyclic agent clomipramine in combination with a behavioural paradigm designed to produce compulsive lever pressing. These results were then compared with their relative impact on the state of activity of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system using extracellular recoding of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The clomipramine model failed to exacerbate compulsive lever pressing and VTA dopamine neurons in clomipramine-treated rats had mildly diminished bursting activity. In contrast, quinpirole-treated animals showed significant increases in compulsive lever pressing, which was concurrent with a substantial diminution of bursting activity of VTA dopamine neurons. Therefore, VTA dopamine activity correlated with the behavioural response in these models. Taken together, these data support the view that compulsive behaviours likely reflect, at least in part, a disruption of the dopaminergic system, more specifically by a decrease in baseline phasic dopamine signalling mediated by burst firing of dopamine neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Sesia
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A
| | - Brandon Bizup
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
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Hall H, Jewett M, Landeck N, Nilsson N, Schagerlöf U, Leanza G, Kirik D. Characterization of cognitive deficits in rats overexpressing human alpha-synuclein in the ventral tegmental area and medial septum using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64844. [PMID: 23705016 PMCID: PMC3660601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraneuronal inclusions containing alpha-synuclein (a-syn) constitute one of the pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) and are accompanied by severe neurodegeneration of A9 dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra. Although to a lesser extent, A10 dopaminergic neurons are also affected. Neurodegeneration of other neuronal populations, such as the cholinergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic cell groups, has also been documented in PD patients. Studies in human post-mortem PD brains and in rodent models suggest that deficits in cholinergic and dopaminergic systems may be associated with the cognitive impairment seen in this disease. Here, we investigated the consequences of targeted overexpression of a-syn in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic and septohippocampal cholinergic pathways. Rats were injected with recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors encoding for either human wild-type a-syn or green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the ventral tegmental area and the medial septum/vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca, two regions rich in dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons, respectively. Histopathological analysis showed widespread insoluble a-syn positive inclusions in all major projections areas of the targeted nuclei, including the hippocampus, neocortex, nucleus accumbens and anteromedial striatum. In addition, the rats overexpressing human a-syn displayed an abnormal locomotor response to apomorphine injection and exhibited spatial learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze task, in the absence of obvious spontaneous locomotor impairment. As losses in dopaminergic and cholinergic immunoreactivity in both the GFP and a-syn expressing animals were mild-to-moderate and did not differ from each other, the behavioral impairments seen in the a-syn overexpressing animals appear to be determined by the long term persisting neuropathology in the surviving neurons rather than by neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Hall
- Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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31
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Hansen C, Björklund T, Petit GH, Lundblad M, Murmu RP, Brundin P, Li JY. A novel α-synuclein-GFP mouse model displays progressive motor impairment, olfactory dysfunction and accumulation of α-synuclein-GFP. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 56:145-55. [PMID: 23643841 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence suggests that accumulation and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we describe a novel Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) transgenic model, in which we have expressed wild-type human α-syn fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), under control of the mouse α-syn promoter. We observed a widespread and high expression of α-syn-GFP in multiple brain regions, including the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and the ventral tegmental area, the olfactory bulb as well as in neocortical neurons. With increasing age, transgenic mice exhibited reductions in amphetamine-induced locomotor activity in the open field, impaired rotarod performance and a reduced striatal dopamine release, as measured by amperometry. In addition, they progressively developed deficits in an odor discrimination test. Western blot analysis revealed that α-syn-GFP and phospho-α-syn levels increased in multiple brain regions, as the mice grew older. Further, we observed, by immunohistochemical staining for phospho-α-syn and in vivo by two-photon microscopy, the formation of α-syn aggregates as the mice aged. The latter illustrates that the model can be used to track α-syn aggregation in vivo. In summary, this novel BAC α-syn-GFP model mimics a unique set of aspects of PD progression combined with the possibility of tracking α-syn aggregation in neocortex of living mice. Therefore, this α-syn-GFP-mouse model can provide a powerful tool that will facilitate the study of α-syn biology and its involvement in PD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hansen
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
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Li J, Sun Y, Ye JH. Electroacupuncture decreases excessive alcohol consumption involving reduction of FosB/ΔFosB levels in reward-related brain regions. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40347. [PMID: 22792289 PMCID: PMC3392239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
New therapies are needed for alcohol abuse, a major public health problem in the U.S. and worldwide. There are only three FDA-approved drugs for treatment of alcohol abuse (naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfuram). On average these drugs yield only moderate success in reducing long-term alcohol consumption. Electroacupuncture has been shown to alleviate various drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Although previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture reduced alcohol consumption, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. ΔFosB and FosB are members of the Fos family of transcription factors implicated in neural plasticity in drug addiction; a connection between electroacupuncture's treatment of alcohol abuse and the Fos family has not been established. In this study, we trained rats to drink large quantities of ethanol in a modified intermittent access two-bottle choice drinking procedure. When rats achieved a stable baseline of ethanol consumption, electroacupuncture (100 Hz or 2 Hz, 30 min each day) was administered at Zusanli (ST36) for 6 consecutive days. The level of FosB/ΔFosB in reward-related brain regions was assessed by immunohistochemistry. We found that the intake of and preference for ethanol in rats under 100 Hz, but not 2 Hz electroacupuncture regiment were sharply reduced. The reduction was maintained for at least 72 hours after the termination of electroacupuncture treatment. Conversely, 100 Hz electroacupuncture did not alter the intake of and preference for the natural rewarding agent sucrose. Additionally, FosB/ΔFosB levels in the prefrontal cortex, striatal region and the posterior region of ventral tegmental area were increased following excessive ethanol consumption, but were reduced after six-day 100 Hz electroacupuncture. Thus, this study demonstrates that six-day 100 Hz electroacupuncture treatment effectively reduces ethanol consumption and preference in rats that chronically drink excessive amount of ethanol. This effect of electroacupuncture may be mediated by down-regulation of FosB/ΔFosB in reward-related brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Yanan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Dong-Zhi-Men Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory for Internal Chinese Medicine of Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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Brown CA, Campbell MC, Karimi M, Tabbal SD, Loftin SK, Tian LL, Moerlein SM, Perlmutter JS. Dopamine pathway loss in nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area predicts apathetic behavior in MPTP-lesioned monkeys. Exp Neurol 2012; 236:190-7. [PMID: 22579525 PMCID: PMC3367030 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Apathy, primarily defined as a lack of motivation, commonly occurs in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Although dysfunction of basal ganglia pathways may contribute to apathy, the role of dopamine remains largely unknown. We investigated the role of dopaminergic pathways in the manifestation of apathetic behaviors by measuring the effects of the selective dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on monkeys' willingness to attempt goal directed behaviors, distinct from their ability to perform tasks. Fifteen macaques received variable doses of MPTP, had PET scans with [(11)C]-dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ), [(11)C]-2β-3β-4-fluorophenyltropane (CFT), and [(18)F]-fluorodopa (FD) and performed tasks to assess apathetic behaviors and motor impairment. At 8 weeks post-MPTP, primates were euthanized and stereological cell counts and dopamine measurements were done. Apathy scores were compared to motor scores, in vitro and in vivo dopaminergic measures. Apathy scores increased following MPTP and correlated with DTBZ (r(S) = -0.85), CFT (r(S) = -0.87), and FD (r(S) = -0.85) specific uptake in nucleus accumbens (NAcc,) and dopaminergic cell counts in ventral tegmental area (VTA, r(S) = -0.80). Dopaminergic cell loss in VTA provided significant predictive power for apathy scores after controlling for the influence of cell loss in SN. Additionally, forward step-wise regression analyses indicated that neuropathological changes in the VTA-NAcc pathway predict apathetic behavior better than motor impairment or neuropathological changes in the nigrostriatal network. Our findings suggest that dopaminergic dysfunction within the VTA-NAcc pathway plays a role in the manifestation of apathetic behaviors in MPTP-lesioned primates. Similar changes in people with PD may contribute to apathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Brown
- Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Liu Z, Han J, Jia L, Maillet JC, Bai G, Xu L, Jia Z, Zheng Q, Zhang W, Monette R, Merali Z, Zhu Z, Wang W, Ren W, Zhang X. Synaptic neurotransmission depression in ventral tegmental dopamine neurons and cannabinoid-associated addictive learning. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15634. [PMID: 21187978 PMCID: PMC3004941 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 11/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is an association of compulsive drug use with long-term associative learning/memory. Multiple forms of learning/memory are primarily subserved by activity- or experience-dependent synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Recent studies suggest LTP expression in locally activated glutamate synapses onto dopamine neurons (local Glu-DA synapses) of the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) following a single or chronic exposure to many drugs of abuse, whereas a single exposure to cannabinoid did not significantly affect synaptic plasticity at these synapses. It is unknown whether chronic exposure of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids), the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, induce LTP or LTD at these synapses. More importantly, whether such alterations in VTA synaptic plasticity causatively contribute to drug addictive behavior has not previously been addressed. Here we show in rats that chronic cannabinoid exposure activates VTA cannabinoid CB1 receptors to induce transient neurotransmission depression at VTA local Glu-DA synapses through activation of NMDA receptors and subsequent endocytosis of AMPA receptor GluR2 subunits. A GluR2-derived peptide blocks cannabinoid-induced VTA synaptic depression and conditioned place preference, i.e., learning to associate drug exposure with environmental cues. These data not only provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic depression at VTA dopamine circuitry requires GluR2 endocytosis, but also suggest an essential contribution of such synaptic depression to cannabinoid-associated addictive learning, in addition to pointing to novel pharmacological strategies for the treatment of cannabis addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jing Han
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Lintao Jia
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jean-Christian Maillet
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Guang Bai
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, Dental School, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengping Jia
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qiaohua Zheng
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Wandong Zhang
- Neurobiology Program, Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Robert Monette
- Neurobiology Program, Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Zul Merali
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Zhou Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Mental Health Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Cannabinoid withdrawal produces a hypofunction of mesencephalic dopamine neurons that impinge upon medium spiny neurons (MSN) of the forebrain. After chronic treatment with two structurally different cannabinoid agonists, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and CP55 940 (CP) rats were withdrawn spontaneously and pharmacologically with the CB1 antagonist SR141716A (SR). In these two conditions, evaluation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons revealed significant morphometrical reductions in the ventrotegmental area but not substantia nigra pars compacta of withdrawn rats. Similarly, confocal analysis of Golgi-Cox-stained sections of the nucleus accumbens revealed a decrease in the shell, but not the core, of the spines' density of withdrawn rats. Administration of the CB1 antagonist SR to control rats, provoked structural abnormalities reminiscent of those observed in withdrawal conditions and support the regulatory role of cannabinoids in neurogenesis, axonal growth and synaptogenesis by acting as eu-proliferative signals through the CB1 receptors. Further, these measures were incorporated into a realistic computational model that predicts a strong reduction in the excitability of morphologically altered MSN, yielding a significant reduction in action potential output. These pieces of evidence support the tenet that withdrawal from addictive compounds alters functioning of the mesolimbic system and provide direct morphological evidence for functional abnormalities associated with cannabinoid dependence at the level of dopaminergic neurons and their postsynaptic counterpart and are coherent with recent hypothesis underscoring a hypodopaminergic state as a distinctive feature of the 'addicted brain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saturnino Spiga
- Department of Animal Biology and Ecology, University of Cagliari, Italy
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36
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Droblenkov AV, Karelina NP, Shabanov PD. [Diagnostics of alcoholic intoxication from micromorphological changes in neurons and neuroglia of the mesoaccumbocingular dopaminergic system in experiment]. Sud Med Ekspert 2009; 52:25-28. [PMID: 20088135] [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: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol affects the mesoaccumbocingular system (ventral tegumental region, substantia nigra--nucleus accumbence--anterior cingular cortex) and other parts of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system by altering patterns of dopamine release. Alcohol stimulates functioning of the nucleus accumbence involved in the formation of the additive behaviour. The function of the anterior cingular cortex responsible for the manifestations of self-sensation emotions is also enhanced under effect of alcohol-induced activation of mid-brain dopaminergic nuclei. Morphometric characteristics of neurocytes and neurogliocytes of the mesoaccumbocingular dopaminergic system revealed during acute and long-term alcohol consumption under experimental conditions can be used for micromorphological diagnosis of different variants of alcoholic intoxication, its consequences, and alcohol dependence.
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Silva C, Fuxe K, Chadi G. Involvement of astroglial fibroblast growth factor-2 and microglia in the nigral 6-OHDA parkinsonism and a possible role of glucocorticoid hormone on the glial mediated local trophism and wound repair. J Neural Transm Suppl 2009:185-202. [PMID: 20411778 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-211-92660-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We have observed in previous studies that 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesions in the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system promote increases of the astroglial basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2, bFGF) synthesis in the ascending DA pathways, event that could be modified by adrenosteroid hormones. Here, we first evaluated the changes of microglial reactivity in relation to the FGF-2-mediated trophic responses in the lesioned nigrostriatal DA system. 6-OHDA was injected into the left side of the rat substantia nigra. The OX42 immunohistochemistry combined with stereology showed the time course of the microglial activation. The OX42 immunoreactivity (IR) was already increased in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) 2 h after the 6-OHDA injection, peaked on day 7, and remained increased on the 14th day time-interval. In the neostriatum, OX42 immunoreactive (ir) microglial profiles increased at 24 h, peaked at 72 h, was still increased at 7 days but not 14 days after the 6-OHDA injection. Two-colour immunofluorescence analysis of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and OX42 IRs revealed the presence of small patches of TH IR within the activated microglia. A decreased FGF-2 IR was seen in the cytoplasm of DA neurons of the SNc and VTA as soon as 2 h after 6-OHDA injection. The majority of the DA FGF-2 ir cells of these regions had disappeared 72 h after neurotoxin. The astroglial FGF-2 IR increased in the SNc and VTA, which peaked on day 7. Two-colour immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase analyses of the FGF-2 and OX42 IRs revealed no FGF-2 IR within the reactive or resting microglia. Second, we have evaluated in a series of biochemical experiments whether adrenocortical manipulation can interfere with the nigral lesion and the state of local astroglial reaction, looking at the TH and GFAP levels respectively. Rats were adrenalectomized (ADX) and received a nigral 6-OHDA stereotaxical injection 2 days later and sacrificed up to 3 weeks after the DA lesion. Western blot analysis showed time-dependent decrease and elevation of TH and GFAP levels, respectively, in the lesioned versus contralateral midbrain sides, events potentiated by ADX and worsened by corticosterone replacement. ADX decreased the levels of FGF-2 protein (23 kDa isoform) in the lesioned side of the ventral midbrain compared contralaterally. The results indicate that reactive astroglia, but not reactive microglia, showed an increased FGF-2 IR in the process of DA cell degeneration induced by 6-OHDA. However, interactions between these glial cells may be relevant to the mechanisms which trigger the increased astroglial FGF-2 synthesis and thus may be related to the trophic state of DA neurons and the repair processes following DA lesion. The findings also gave further evidence that adrenocortical hormones may regulate astroglial-mediated trophic mechanisms and wound repair events in the lesioned DA system that may be relevant to the progression of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Silva
- Neuroregeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Prasad K, Richfield EK. Sporadic midbrain dopamine neuron abnormalities in laboratory mice. Neurobiol Dis 2008; 32:262-72. [PMID: 18687402 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2008.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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] [Received: 05/13/2008] [Revised: 06/18/2008] [Accepted: 07/05/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report an anatomical abnormality of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in different strains of inbred and outbred mice, one mouse strain (C57BL/6, B6) from different commercial suppliers, and in B6J mice bred internally. The abnormality consisted of a sporadic and unpredictable decrease in the number of dopaminergic neurons and/or a reduction or complete loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) staining in a focal subset of neurons of the SNpc and/or VTA. This abnormality had a preference for a unilateral right side location, but could affect one or both sides of each subregion independently or together. The frequency and severity were variable between and within strains and colonies. The neuronal abnormality was found in mice from the five commercial suppliers examined, 5/15 inbred strains from a single supplier, and the one outbred strain (CD1) examined. The striatal content of catecholamines was not affected by this abnormality even when there was significant asymmetric TH neuronal loss, but did vary significantly between commercial suppliers. Manipulations in housing conditions did not affect the abnormalities. The mechanism and cause of this abnormality could not be determined in this study although several potential factors were eliminated. The frequent, but not universal, occurrence of this abnormality has significant implications for the use of laboratory mice in studying the midbrain dopamine system and warrants its recognition, knowledge of their frequency, and exploration of a mechanism to address or eliminate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Prasad
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey (UMDNJ), USA
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Kanaan NM, Kordower JH, Collier TJ. Age-related changes in dopamine transporters and accumulation of 3-nitrotyrosine in rhesus monkey midbrain dopamine neurons: relevance in selective neuronal vulnerability to degeneration. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 27:3205-15. [PMID: 18598263 PMCID: PMC3391583 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06307.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Aging is the strongest risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). There is a preferential loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra (vtSN) compared to the dorsal tier and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PD. Examining age-related and region-specific differences in DA neurons represents a means of identifying factors potentially involved in vulnerability or resistance to degeneration. Nitrative stress is among the factors potentially underlying DA neuron degeneration. We studied the relationship between 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT; a marker of nitrative damage) and DA transporters [DA transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT)] during aging in DA subregions of rhesus monkeys. The percentage of DA neurons containing 3NT increased significantly only in the vtSN with advancing age, and the vtSN had a greater percentage of 3NT-positive neurons when compared to the VTA. The relationship between 3NT and DA transporters was determined by measuring fluorescence intensity of 3NT, DAT and VMAT staining. 3NT intensity increased with advancing age in the vtSN. Increased DAT, VMAT and DAT/VMAT ratios were associated with increased 3NT in individual DA neurons. These results suggest nitrative damage accumulates in midbrain DA neurons with advancing age, an effect exacerbated in the vulnerable vtSN. The capacity of a DA neuron to accumulate more cytosolic DA, as inferred from DA transporter expression, is related to accumulation of nitrative damage. These findings are consistent with a role for aging-related accrual of nitrative damage in the selective vulnerability of vtSN neurons to degeneration in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. M. Kanaan
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J. H. Kordower
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - T. J. Collier
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 670525, 265 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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Chu NN, Xia W, Yu P, Hu L, Zhang R, Cui CL. Chronic morphine-induced neuronal morphological changes in the ventral tegmental area in rats are reversed by electroacupuncture treatment. Addict Biol 2008; 13:47-51. [PMID: 18269380 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2007.00092.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on chronic morphine-induced neuronal morphological changes in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in rats at electron-microscopic level. Fourteen days of administering escalating doses of morphine induced pathological morphological changes of neurons in the VTA: the rough endoplasmic reticulum swelled, membrane configuration of the nucleus and mitochondria blurred, and structure of myelin sheath changed. Both 2 and 100 Hz EA treatment reversed the morphological alterations induced by chronic morphine administration. The findings provide new evidence that EA may serve as a potential therapy in treating opiate addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning-ning Chu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, China
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41
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Backes EN, Hemby SE. Contribution of ventral tegmental GABA receptors to cocaine self-administration in rats. Neurochem Res 2007; 33:459-67. [PMID: 17943439 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-007-9454-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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] [Received: 06/19/2007] [Accepted: 07/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has suggested that compounds affecting GABAergic transmission may provide useful pharmacological tools for the treatment of cocaine addiction. Using a rat model of self-administration, the present study examined the effects of GABA agonists and antagonists injected directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on cocaine intake in rats trained to self-administer cocaine (0, 125, 250 and 500 microg/infusion) under an FR5 schedule of reinforcement. Separate groups of rats received bilateral intra-VTA injections of the GABA-A antagonist picrotoxin (34 ng/side, n = 7; 68 ng/side, n = 8), GABA-A agonist muscimol (14 ng/side, n = 8), GABA-B agonist baclofen (56 ng/side, n = 7; 100 ng/side, n = 6), picrotoxin (68 ng/side) co-injected with the GABA-B antagonist 2-hydroxysaclofen (100 ng/side, n = 7; 2 microg/side, n = 8) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF, n = 6) to assess the effects of the various compounds on the cocaine self-administration dose-response curve. Both picrotoxin and baclofen reduced responding maintained by cocaine, whereas muscimol had no effect on responding. In contrast, neither picrotoxin (n = 6) nor baclofen (n = 8) affected responding maintained by food. Interestingly, 2-hydroxysaclofen effectively blocked the suppression of responding produced by picrotoxin, suggesting that both picrotoxin and baclofen exert their effects via activation of GABA-B receptors. Additionally, these effects appear to be specific to cocaine reinforcement, supporting current investigation of baclofen as a treatment for cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E N Backes
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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42
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Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that the expression of synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system results in dendritic reorganization and spine remodeling. Although long-term potentiation of glutamatergic synapses after cocaine exposure in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been proposed as a cellular mechanism underlying addictive behaviors, the relationship between long-term potentiation and dendritic remodeling induced by cocaine on the dopaminergic neurons of the VTA has not been demonstrated. Here we report that rat VTA cells classified as type I and II showed distinct morphological responses to cocaine, as a single cocaine exposure significantly increased dendritic spine density in type I but not in type II cells. Further, only type I cells had a significant increase in the AMPA receptor:NMDA receptor ratio after a single cocaine exposure. Taken together, our data provide evidence that increased spine density and synaptic plasticity are coexpressed within the same VTA neuronal population and that only type I neurons are structurally and synaptically modified by cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Sarti
- Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 5858 Horton Street, Suite #200, Emeryville, San Francisco, CA 94608, USA
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43
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O’Neil JN, Mouton PR, Tizabi Y, Ottinger MA, Lei DL, Ingram DK, Manaye KF. Catecholaminergic neuronal loss in locus coeruleus of aged female dtg APP/PS1 mice. J Chem Neuroanat 2007; 34:102-7. [PMID: 17658239 PMCID: PMC5483173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2007.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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] [Received: 11/15/2006] [Revised: 05/18/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia afflicting the elderly. In addition to the presence of cortical senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, AD is characterized at autopsy by extensive degeneration of brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) neurons that provide noradrenergic innervation to cortical neuropil, together with relative stability of dopaminergic neuron number in substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). The present study used design-based stereological methods to assess catecholaminergic neuronal loss in brains of double transgenic female mice that co-express two human mutations associated with familial AD, amyloid precursor protein (APP(swe)) and presenilin-1 (PS1(DeltaE9)). Mice were analyzed at two age groups, 3-6 months and 16-23 months, when deposition of AD-type beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques occurs in cortical brain regions. Blocks of brain tissue containing the noradrenergic LC nucleus and two nuclei of dopaminergic neurons, the SN and VTA, were sectioned and sampled in a systematic-random manner and immunostained for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a specific marker for catecholaminergic neurons. Using the optical fractionator method we found a 24% reduction in the total number of TH-positive neurons in LC with no changes in SN-VTA of aged dtg APP/PS1 mice compared with non-transgenic controls. No significant differences were observed in numbers of TH-positive neurons in LC or SN-VTA in brains of young female dtg APP/PS1 mice compared to their age-matched controls. The findings of selective neurodegeneration of LC neurons in the brains of aged female dtg APP/PS1 mice mimic the neuropathology in the brains of AD patients at autopsy. These findings support the use of murine models of Abeta deposition to develop novel strategies for the therapeutic management of patients afflicted with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahn N. O’Neil
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | - Peter R. Mouton
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD
- Stereology Resource Center (SRC), Baltimore, MD
| | - Yousef Tizabi
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | | | - De-liang Lei
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | | | - Kebreten F. Manaye
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
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Ojanen SP, Palmén M, Hyytiä P, Kiianmaa K. Extracellular glutamate and GABA in the ventral tegmental area of alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-avoiding ANA rats treated repeatedly with morphine. Eur J Pharmacol 2007; 559:38-45. [PMID: 17198699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2006.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2006] [Revised: 10/30/2006] [Accepted: 11/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) have been implicated in neuronal plasticity related to behavioral sensitization. In the present study, we examined morphine-induced changes in the extracellular concentrations of glutamate and GABA in the ventral tegmental area in alcohol-preferring Alko Alcohol (AA) and alcohol-avoiding Alko Non-Alcohol (ANA) rats that have previously been shown to differ in morphine-induced sensitization. The rats were given escalating doses (5-20 mg/kg) of morphine every other day for five days. This treatment produced behavioral sensitization to locomotor effects of morphine in AA, but not in ANA rats, when challenged with an additional injection of morphine (10 mg/kg) 10 days later. Morphine also increased the levels of glutamate in the ventral tegmental area only in AA rats, while no significant changes were found in the extracellular concentrations of GABA between the lines. Challenging the morphine-treated AA rats with ethanol (1.5 g/kg) did not modify the levels of glutamate or GABA. No changes in the concentrations of glutamate or GABA were seen in saline-treated AA and ANA rats after morphine challenge. These results render increased glutamate transmission in the ventral tegmental area a potential contributor to the higher susceptibility of AA rats to morphine-induced behavioral and neurochemical effects relative to ANA rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami P Ojanen
- Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, POB 33, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
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Viaggi C, Vaglini F, Pardini C, Sgadò P, Caramelli A, Corsini GU. CYP 2E1 mutant mice are resistant to DDC-induced enhancement of MPTP toxicity. J Neural Transm Suppl 2007:159-163. [PMID: 17982890 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-211-73574-9_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In order to reach a deeper insight into the mechanism of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC)-induced enhancement of MPTP toxicity in mice, we showed that CYP450 (2E1) inhibitors, such as diallyl sulfide (DAS) or phenylethylisothiocyanate (PIC), also potentiate the selective DA neuron degeneration in C57/bl mice. Furthermore we showed that CYP 2E1 is present in the brain and in the basal ganglia of mice (Vaglini et al., 2004). However, because DAS and PIC are not selective CYP 2E1 inhibitors and in order to provide direct evidence for CYP 2E1 involvement in the enhancement of MPTP toxicity, CYP 2E1 knockout mice (GONZ) and wild type animals (SVI) of the same genetic background were treated with MPTP or the combined DDC + MPTP treatment. In CYP 2E1 knockout mice, DDC pretreatment completely fails to enhance MPTP toxicity, although enhancement of MPTP toxicity was regularly present in the SVI control animals. The immunohistochemical study confirms our results and suggests that CYP 2E1 may have a detoxifying role.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Viaggi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Pharmacology, University of Pisa and Center of Excellence 'AMBISEN' for the Study of Environmental Toxins and CNS Diseases, Pisa, Italy
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Maingay M, Romero-Ramos M, Carta M, Kirik D. Ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons are resistant to human mutant alpha-synuclein overexpression. Neurobiol Dis 2006; 23:522-32. [PMID: 16806952 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2006] [Revised: 04/12/2006] [Accepted: 04/24/2006] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the formation of intracytoplasmic inclusions, which contain alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein. While most profound neurodegeneration is seen in the dopamine (DA) synthesizing neurons located in the ventral midbrain, it is unclear why some DA cell groups are more susceptible than others. In the midbrain, the degeneration of the substantia nigra (SN) DA neurons is severe, whereas the involvement of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons is relatively spared. In the present study, we overexpressed human A53T alpha-syn in the VTA neurons and found that A53T toxicity did not affect their survival. There was, however, a mild functional impairment seen as altered open field locomotor activity. Overexpression of A53T in the SN, on the other hand, led to profound cell loss. These results suggest that the selective susceptibility of nigral DA neurons is at least in part associated with factor(s) involved in handling of alpha-syn that is not shared by the VTA neurons. Secondly, these results highlight the fact that impaired but surviving neurons can have a substantial impact on DA-dependent behavior and should therefore be considered as a critical part of animal models where novel therapeutic interventions are tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Maingay
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Section of Neuroscience, CNS Disease Modeling Unit, Lund University, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, BMCA11, S-22184 Lund, Sweden.
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Ossowska K, Smiałowska M, Kuter K, Wierońska J, Zieba B, Wardas J, Nowak P, Dabrowska J, Bortel A, Biedka I, Schulze G, Rommelspacher H. Degeneration of dopaminergic mesocortical neurons and activation of compensatory processes induced by a long-term paraquat administration in rats: implications for Parkinson's disease. Neuroscience 2006; 141:2155-65. [PMID: 16797138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2006] [Revised: 05/18/2006] [Accepted: 05/18/2006] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A deficiency of the dopaminergic transmission in the mesocortical system has been suggested to contribute to cognitive disturbances in Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine whether the long-term administration of a commonly used herbicide, paraquat, which has already been found to induce a slowly progressing degeneration of the nigrostriatal neurons, influences mesocortical dopaminergic neurons in rats. Paraquat at a dose of 10 mg/kg i.p. was injected either acutely or once a week for 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks. Acute treatment with this pesticide increased the level of homovanillic acid (HVA) and HVA/dopamine ratio in the prefrontal cortex. After 8 weeks of administration paraquat increased the number of stereologically counted tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons and their staining intensity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is a source of the mesocortical dopaminergic projection. At the same time, few TH-ir neurons appeared in different regions of the cerebral cortex: in the frontal, cingulate, retrosplenial and parietal cortices. Chronic paraquat administration did not influence the level of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex but increased the levels of its metabolites: 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (after 8-12 weeks), HVA (after 4 and 12 weeks) and HVA/dopamine ratio (4 weeks). After 24 weeks this pesticide reduced the number of TH-ir neurons in the VTA by 42% and of the Nissl-stained neurons by 26%, and induced shrinkage of this structure by ca. 25%. Moreover, TH-ir neurons in the cortex were no more visible after such a long period of administration and levels of dopamine metabolites returned to control values. The present results suggest that the long-term paraquat administration destroys dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. However, compensatory activation of the VTA neurons and cortex overcomes progressing degeneration and maintains cortical dopaminergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ossowska
- Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna St., PL-31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Sari Y, Bell RL, Zhou FC. Effects of chronic alcohol and repeated deprivations on dopamine D1 and D2 receptor levels in the extended amygdala of inbred alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:46-56. [PMID: 16433731 PMCID: PMC4287423 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00010.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dopaminergic (DA) activity in the extended amygdala (EA) has been known to play a pivotal role in mediating drug and alcohol addiction. Alterations of DA activity within the EA after chronic exposure to alcohol or substances of abuse are considered a major mechanism for the development of alcoholism and addiction. To date, it is not clear how different patterns of chronic alcohol drinking affect DA receptor levels. Therefore, the current studies investigated the effects of chronic ethanol consumption, with or without deprivations, on D1 and D2 receptor densities within the EA. METHODS Inbred alcohol-preferring (iP) rats were divided into 3 groups with the following treatments: (1) water for 14 weeks; (2) continuous alcohol (C-Alc) for 14 weeks [24-hour concurrent access to 15 and 30% (v/v) ethanol]; or (3) repeatedly deprived of alcohol (RD-Alc) (24-hour concurrent access to 15 and 30% ethanol for 6 weeks, followed by 2 cycles of 2 weeks of deprivation of and 2 weeks of reexposure to ethanol access). At the end of 14 weeks, the rats were killed for autoradiographic labeling of D1 and D2 receptors. RESULTS Compared with the water control group, both the C-Alc and the RD-Alc groups displayed increases in D1 receptor binding density in the anterior region of the Acb core, whereas the RD-Alc group displayed additional increases in D1 receptor binding density in anterior regions of the lateral and intercalated nuclei of the amygdala. Additionally, both C-Alc and RD-Alc rats displayed increases in D2 receptor binding density in anterior regions of the Acb shell and core, whereas RD-Alc rats displayed additional increases in D2 receptor binding density in the dorsal striatum. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that 14-week extended alcohol drinking with continuous chronic or repeated deprivations increase binding sites of D1 and D2 receptors in specific regions of the EA with greater sensitivity in the anterior regions. The repeated deprivation has greater effect on altering D1 and D2 receptor binding sites in the Acb, dorsal striatum, and subamygdala regions. The current result indicates that the two drinking paradigms may have common as well as differential mechanisms on alteration of dopamine receptor-binding sites in specific regions of the EA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Sari
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
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Protopopescu X, Pan H, Tuescher O, Cloitre M, Goldstein M, Engelien A, Yang Y, Gorman J, LeDoux J, Stern E, Silbersweig D. Increased brainstem volume in panic disorder: a voxel-based morphometric study. Neuroreport 2006; 17:361-3. [PMID: 16514359 DOI: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000203354.80438.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurocircuitry models of panic disorder have hypothesized that the panic attack itself stems from loci in the brainstem including the ascending reticular system and respiratory and cardiovascular control centers. Voxel-based morphometry with acobian modulation was used to examine gray matter volume changes in 10 panic disorder patients and 23 healthy controls. The panic disorder patients had a relatively increased gray matter volume in the midbrain and rostral pons of the brainstem. Increased ventral hippocampal and decreased regional prefrontal cortex volumes were also noted at a lower significance threshold. This finding has implications for pathophysiologic models of panic disorder, and provides structural evidence for the role of the brainstem in neurocircuitry models of panic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xenia Protopopescu
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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Tseng KY, Kargieman L, Gacio S, Riquelme LA, Murer MG. Consequences of partial and severe dopaminergic lesion on basal ganglia oscillatory activity and akinesia. Eur J Neurosci 2006; 22:2579-86. [PMID: 16307600 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04456.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Severe chronic dopamine (DA) depletion increases the proportion of neurons in the basal ganglia that fire rhythmic bursts of action potential (LFO units) synchronously with the cortical oscillations. Here we report on how different levels of mesencephalic DA denervation affect substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) neuronal activity in the rat and its relationship to akinesia (stepping test). Chronic nigrostriatal lesion induced with 0 (control group), 4, 6 or 8 microg of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) neurons in the SN and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Although 4 microg of 6-OHDA reduced the number of TH+ neurons in the SN by approximately 60%, both stepping test performance and SNpr neuronal activity remained indistinguishable from control animals. By contrast, animals that received 6 microg of 6-OHDA showed a marked reduction of TH+ cells in the SN ( approximately 75%) and VTA ( approximately 55%), a significant stepping test deficit and an increased proportion of LFO units. These changes were not dramatically enhanced with 8 microg 6-OHDA, a dose that induced an extensive DA lesion (> 95%) in the SN and approximately 70% reduction of DA neurons in the VTA. These results suggest a threshold level of DA denervation for both the appearance of motor deficits and LFO units. Thus, the presence of LFO activity in the SNpr is not related to a complete nigrostriatal DA neuron depletion (ultimate stage parkinsonism); instead, it may reflect a functional disruption of cortico-basal ganglia dynamics associated with clinically relevant stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuei Y Tseng
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de Circuitos Neuronales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1121, Argentina.
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