1
|
Boroń A, Suchanecka A, Chmielowiec K, Śmiarowska M, Chmielowiec J, Strońska-Pluta A, Recław R, Grzywacz A. OPRM1 Gene Polymorphism in Women with Alcohol Use Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3067. [PMID: 38474311 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The main aims of the present study were to explore the relationship of the OPRM1 gene rs1074287 polymorphism in alcohol-dependent women with their personality traits and to try to find out whether any specific features may influence alcohol cravings and be a prognostic for alcohol dependency and treatment in AUD women. Our study found a notable correlation between openness and the interaction of the ORIM1 gene and AUD. The alcohol use disorder subjects with genotype AG showed a higher level of openness compared to the control group with genotypes AG (p = 0.0001) and AA (p = 0.0125). The alcohol use disorder subjects with the AA genotype displayed higher levels of openness than the control group with genotype AG (p = 0.0271). However, the alcohol use disorder subjects with the AA genotype displayed lower levels of openness than the control group with genotype GG (p = 0.0212). Our study indicates that openness as a personality trait is correlated with the OPRM1 gene rs1074287 polymorphism in alcohol-dependent women. These are the first data and results exploring such a relationship between opioid and alcohol pathways and the mental construction of AUD women. Personality traits such as openness to experience and neuroticism might play major roles in the addiction mechanism, especially in genetically predisposed females, independent of the reward system involved in the emotional disturbances that coexist with anxiety and depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Boroń
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biochemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Suchanecka
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-045 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | | | - Jolanta Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-045 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Strońska-Pluta
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Remigiusz Recław
- Foundation Strong in the Spirit, 60 Sienkiewicza St., 90-058 Łódź, Poland
| | - Anna Grzywacz
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Carter JK, Quach BC, Willis C, Minto MS, Hancock DB, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Corradin O, Logan RW, Walss-Bass C, Maher BS, Johnson EO. Identifying novel gene dysregulation associated with opioid overdose death: A meta-analysis of differential gene expression in human prefrontal cortex. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.12.24301153. [PMID: 38260365 PMCID: PMC10802752 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.24301153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Only recently have human postmortem brain studies of differential gene expression (DGE) associated with opioid overdose death (OOD) been published; sample sizes from these studies have been modest (N = 40-153). To increase statistical power to identify OOD-associated genes, we leveraged human prefrontal cortex RNAseq data from four independent OOD studies and conducted a transcriptome-wide DGE meta-analysis (N = 285). Using a unified gene expression data processing and analysis framework across studies, we meta-analyzed 20 098 genes and found 335 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by OOD status (false discovery rate < 0.05). Of these, 66 DEGs were among the list of 303 genes reported as OOD-associated in prior prefrontal cortex molecular studies, including genes/gene families (e.g., OPRK1, NPAS4, DUSP, EGR). The remaining 269 DEGs were not previously reported (e.g., NR4A2, SYT1, HCRTR2, BDNF). There was little evidence of genetic drivers for the observed differences in gene expression between opioid addiction cases and controls. Enrichment analyses for the DEGs across molecular pathway and biological process databases highlight an interconnected set of genes and pathways from orexin and tyrosine kinase receptors through MEK/ERK/MAPK signaling to affect neuronal plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javan K. Carter
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bryan C. Quach
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Caryn Willis
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Melyssa S. Minto
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Dana B. Hancock
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Janitza Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Human Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, National Center of PTSD, VA CT Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Olivia Corradin
- Whitehead Institute Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Brion S. Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric Otto Johnson
- Omics, Epidemiology, and Analytics Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Fellow Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Falconnier C, Caparros-Roissard A, Decraene C, Lutz PE. Functional genomic mechanisms of opioid action and opioid use disorder: a systematic review of animal models and human studies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4568-4584. [PMID: 37723284 PMCID: PMC10914629 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02238-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, over-prescription of opioids for pain management has driven a steep increase in opioid use disorder (OUD) and death by overdose, exerting a dramatic toll on western countries. OUD is a chronic relapsing disease associated with a lifetime struggle to control drug consumption, suggesting that opioids trigger long-lasting brain adaptations, notably through functional genomic and epigenomic mechanisms. Current understanding of these processes, however, remain scarce, and have not been previously reviewed systematically. To do so, the goal of the present work was to synthesize current knowledge on genome-wide transcriptomic and epigenetic mechanisms of opioid action, in primate and rodent species. Using a prospectively registered methodology, comprehensive literature searches were completed in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Of the 2709 articles identified, 73 met our inclusion criteria and were considered for qualitative analysis. Focusing on the 5 most studied nervous system structures (nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, whole striatum, dorsal striatum, spinal cord; 44 articles), we also conducted a quantitative analysis of differentially expressed genes, in an effort to identify a putative core transcriptional signature of opioids. Only one gene, Cdkn1a, was consistently identified in eleven studies, and globally, our results unveil surprisingly low consistency across published work, even when considering most recent single-cell approaches. Analysis of sources of variability detected significant contributions from species, brain structure, duration of opioid exposure, strain, time-point of analysis, and batch effects, but not type of opioid. To go beyond those limitations, we leveraged threshold-free methods to illustrate how genome-wide comparisons may generate new findings and hypotheses. Finally, we discuss current methodological development in the field, and their implication for future research and, ultimately, better care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Falconnier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alba Caparros-Roissard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Charles Decraene
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre-Eric Lutz
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Puig S, Xue X, Salisbury R, Shelton MA, Kim SM, Hildebrand MA, Glausier JR, Freyberg Z, Tseng GC, Yocum AK, Lewis DA, Seney ML, MacDonald ML, Logan RW. Circadian rhythm disruptions associated with opioid use disorder in synaptic proteomes of human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4777-4792. [PMID: 37674018 PMCID: PMC10914630 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Opioid craving and relapse vulnerability is associated with severe and persistent sleep and circadian rhythm disruptions. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of circadian rhythms and opioid use disorder (OUD) may prove valuable for developing new treatments for opioid addiction. Previous work indicated molecular rhythm disruptions in the human brain associated with OUD, highlighting synaptic alterations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc)-key brain regions involved in cognition and reward, and heavily implicated in the pathophysiology of OUD. To provide further insights into the synaptic alterations in OUD, we used mass-spectrometry based proteomics to deeply profile protein expression alterations in bulk tissue and synaptosome preparations from DLPFC and NAc of unaffected and OUD subjects. We identified 55 differentially expressed (DE) proteins in DLPFC homogenates, and 44 DE proteins in NAc homogenates, between unaffected and OUD subjects. In synaptosomes, we identified 161 and 56 DE proteins in DLPFC and NAc, respectively, of OUD subjects. By comparing homogenate and synaptosome protein expression, we identified proteins enriched specifically in synapses that were significantly altered in both DLPFC and NAc of OUD subjects. Across brain regions, synaptic protein alterations in OUD subjects were primarily identified in glutamate, GABA, and circadian rhythm signaling. Using time-of-death (TOD) analyses, where the TOD of each subject is used as a time-point across a 24-h cycle, we were able to map circadian-related changes associated with OUD in synaptic proteomes associated with vesicle-mediated transport and membrane trafficking in the NAc and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta signaling in DLPFC. Collectively, our findings lend further support for molecular rhythm disruptions in synaptic signaling in the human brain as a key factor in opioid addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Puig
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiangning Xue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ryan Salisbury
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Micah A Shelton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sam-Moon Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jill R Glausier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew L MacDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Ryan W Logan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Puig S, Xue X, Salisbury R, Shelton MA, Kim SM, Hildebrand MA, Glausier JR, Freyberg Z, Tseng GC, Yocum AK, Lewis DA, Seney ML, MacDonald ML, Logan RW. Circadian rhythm disruptions associated with opioid use disorder in the synaptic proteomes of the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536056. [PMID: 37066169 PMCID: PMC10104116 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Opioid craving and relapse vulnerability is associated with severe and persistent sleep and circadian rhythm disruptions. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of circadian rhythms and opioid use disorder (OUD) may prove valuable for developing new treatments for opioid addiction. Previous work indicated molecular rhythm disruptions in the human brain associated with OUD, highlighting synaptic alterations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc)-key brain regions involved in cognition and reward, and heavily implicated in the pathophysiology of OUD. To provide further insights into the synaptic alterations in OUD, we used mass-spectrometry based proteomics to deeply profile protein expression alterations in bulk tissue and synaptosome preparations from DLPFC and NAc of unaffected and OUD subjects. We identified 55 differentially expressed (DE) proteins in DLPFC homogenates, and 44 DE proteins in NAc homogenates, between unaffected and OUD subjects. In synaptosomes, we identified 161 and 56 DE proteins in DLPFC and NAc, respectively, of OUD subjects. By comparing homogenate and synaptosome protein expression, we identified proteins enriched specifically in synapses that were significantly altered in both DLPFC and NAc of OUD subjects. Across brain regions, synaptic protein alterations in OUD subjects were primarily identified in glutamate, GABA, and circadian rhythm signaling. Using time-of-death (TOD) analyses, where the TOD of each subject is used as a time-point across a 24- hour cycle, we were able to map circadian-related changes associated with OUD in synaptic proteomes related to vesicle-mediated transport and membrane trafficking in the NAc and platelet derived growth factor receptor beta signaling in DLPFC. Collectively, our findings lend further support for molecular rhythm disruptions in synaptic signaling in the human brain as a key factor in opioid addiction.
Collapse
|
6
|
Zanda MT, Saikali L, Morris P, Daws SE. MicroRNA-mediated translational pathways are regulated in the orbitofrontal cortex and peripheral blood samples during acute abstinence from heroin self-administration. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:11668. [PMID: 38389822 PMCID: PMC10880771 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.11668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Opioid misuse in the United States contributes to >70% of annual overdose deaths. To develop additional therapeutics that may prevent opioid misuse, further studies on the neurobiological consequences of opioid exposure are needed. Here we sought to characterize molecular neuroadaptations involving microRNA (miRNA) pathways in the brain and blood of adult male rats that self-administered the opioid heroin. miRNAs are ∼18-24 nucleotide RNAs that regulate protein expression by preventing mRNA translation into proteins. Manipulation of miRNAs and their downstream pathways can critically regulate drug seeking behavior. We performed small-RNA sequencing of miRNAs and proteomics profiling on tissue from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region associated with heroin seeking, following 2 days of forced abstinence from self-administration of 0.03 mg/kg/infusion heroin or sucrose. Heroin self-administration resulted in a robust shift of the OFC miRNA profile, regulating 77 miRNAs, while sucrose self-administration only regulated 9 miRNAs that did not overlap with the heroin-induced profile. Conversely, proteomics revealed dual regulation of seven proteins by both heroin and sucrose in the OFC. Pathway analysis determined that heroin-associated miRNA pathways are predicted to target genes associated with the term "prion disease," a term that was also enriched in the heroin-induced protein expression dataset. Lastly, we confirmed that a subset of heroin-induced miRNA expression changes in the OFC are regulated in peripheral serum and correlate with heroin infusions. These findings demonstrate that peripheral blood samples may have biomarker utility for assessment of drug-induced miRNA pathway alterations that occur in the brain following chronic drug exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Tresa Zanda
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neural Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Leila Saikali
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Paige Morris
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neural Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Stephanie E. Daws
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neural Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Daws SE, Gillespie A. Circular RNA regulation and function in drug seeking phenotypes. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103841. [PMID: 36935046 PMCID: PMC10247439 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug overdoses have increased dramatically in the United States over the last decade where they are now the leading cause of accidental death. To develop efficient therapeutic options for decreasing drug consumption and overdose risk, it is critical to understand the neurobiological changes induced by drug exposure. Chronic systemic exposure to all drug classes, including opioids, psychostimulants, nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol, induces profound molecular neuroadaptations within the central nervous system that may reveal crucial information about the lasting effects that these substances impart on brain cells. Transcriptome analyses of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have identified gene patterns in the brain that result from exposure to various classes of drugs. However, mRNAs represent only a small fraction of the RNA within the cell, and drug exposure also impacts other classes of RNA that are largely understudied, especially circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a naturally occurring RNA species formed from back-splicing events during mRNA processing and are enriched in the nervous system. circRNAs are a pleiotropic class of RNAs and have a diverse impact on cellular function, with putative functions including regulation of mRNA transcription, protein translation, microRNA sponging, and sequestration of RNA-binding proteins. Recent studies have demonstrated that circRNAs can modulate cognition and are regulated in the brain in response to drug exposure, yet very few studies have explored the contribution of circRNAs to drug seeking phenotypes. In this review, we will provide an overview of the mechanisms of circRNA function in the cell to highlight how drug-induced circRNA dysregulation may impact the molecular substrates that mediate drug seeking behavior and the current studies that have reported drug-induced dysregulation of circRNAs in the brain. Furthermore, we will discuss how principles of circRNA biology can be adapted to study circRNAs in models of drug exposure and seek to provide further insight into the neurobiology of addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E Daws
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neural Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Aria Gillespie
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neural Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
The autism risk factor CHD8 is a chromatin activator in human neurons and functionally dependent on the ERK-MAPK pathway effector ELK1. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22425. [PMID: 36575212 PMCID: PMC9794786 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23614-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein CHD8 is the most frequently mutated gene in autism spectrum disorder. Despite its prominent disease involvement, little is known about its molecular function in the human brain. CHD8 is a chromatin regulator which binds to the promoters of actively transcribed genes through genomic targeting mechanisms which have yet to be fully defined. By generating a conditional loss-of-function and an endogenously tagged allele in human pluripotent stem cells, we investigated the molecular function and the interaction of CHD8 with chromatin in human neurons. Chromatin accessibility analysis and transcriptional profiling revealed that CHD8 functions as a transcriptional activator at its target genes in human neurons. Furthermore, we found that CHD8 chromatin targeting is cell context-dependent. In human neurons, CHD8 preferentially binds at ETS motif-enriched promoters. This enrichment is particularly prominent on the promoters of genes whose expression significantly changes upon the loss of CHD8. Indeed, among the ETS transcription factors, we identified ELK1 as being most highly correlated with CHD8 expression in primary human fetal and adult cortical neurons and most highly expressed in our stem cell-derived neurons. Remarkably, ELK1 was necessary to recruit CHD8 specifically to ETS motif-containing sites. These findings imply that ELK1 and CHD8 functionally cooperate to regulate gene expression and chromatin states at MAPK/ERK target genes in human neurons. Our results suggest that the MAPK/ERK/ELK1 axis potentially contributes to the pathogenesis caused by CHD8 mutations in human neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
|
9
|
Sosnowski DW, Jaffe AE, Tao R, Deep-Soboslay A, Shu C, Sabunciyan S, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Maher BS. Differential expression of NPAS4 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex following opioid overdose. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2022; 3:100040. [PMID: 36845993 PMCID: PMC9948892 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Although preclinical models reveal the neurobiological pathways altered through opioid abuse, comprehensive assessments of gene expression in human brain samples are needed. Moreover, less is known about gene expression in response to fatal overdose. The primary goal of the present study was to compare gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) between brain samples of individuals who died of acute opioid intoxication and group-matched controls. Methods Postmortem tissue samples of the DLPFC from 153 deceased individuals (Mage = 35.4; 62% male; 77% European ancestry). Study groups included 72 brain samples from individuals who died of acute opioid intoxication, 53 psychiatric controls, and 28 normal controls. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing was used to generate exon counts, and differential expression was tested using limma-voom. Analyses were adjusted for relevant sociodemographic characteristics, technical covariates, and cryptic relatedness using quality surrogate variables. Weighted correlation network analysis and gene set enrichment analyses also were conducted. Results Two genes were differentially expressed in opioid samples compared to control samples. The top gene, NPAS4, was downregulated in opioid samples (log2FC = -2.47, adj. p = .049) and has been implicated in opioid, cocaine, and methamphetamine use. Weighted correlation network analysis revealed 15 gene modules associated with opioid overdose, though no intramodular hub genes were related to opioid overdose, nor were pathways related to opioid overdose enriched for differential expression. Conclusions Results provide preliminary evidence that NPAS4 is implicated in opioid overdose, and more research is needed to understand its role in opioid abuse and associated outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David W. Sosnowski
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Andrew E. Jaffe
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
| | - Ran Tao
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
| | | | - Chang Shu
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States
| | | | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, United States
| | | | - Brion S. Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gillespie A, Mayberry HL, Wimmer ME, Sillivan SE. microRNA expression levels in the nucleus accumbens correlate with morphine-taking but not morphine-seeking behaviour in male rats. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1742-1755. [PMID: 35320877 PMCID: PMC9314918 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A powerful motivation to seek opioids remains after drug cessation and intensifies during extended periods of abstinence. Unfortunately, biomarkers associated with continued drug seeking have not been described. Moreover, previous studies have focused on the effects of early abstinence with little exploration into the long-term drug-induced mechanisms that occur after extended abstinence. Here we demonstrated that 30 days (D) of forced abstinence results in a time-dependent increase in morphine seeking in a rat model of morphine self-administration (SA). We measured expression of known drug-responsive microRNAs (miRNAs) in the nucleus accumbens, an area critical for reward-related plasticity, during early or late abstinence in animals that underwent either a cue-induced relapse test or no relapse test. miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that represent suitable biomarker candidates due to their long-lasting nature. mir-32-5p levels during early abstinence negatively correlated with active lever pressing in both cue-exposed and cue-naïve animals. mir-1298-5p positively correlated with drug SA history after a relapse test during late abstinence. When animals underwent acute abstinence with no relapse test, mir-1298-5p correlated with drug infusions and active lever pressing during SA. In late abstinence with no relapse test, mir-137-3p negatively correlated with drug infusions. Regulation of mir-32-5p target genes and significant correlation of target gene mRNA with mir-32-5p was observed after abstinence. These results indicate that lasting regulation of miRNA expression is associated with drug intake following morphine SA. In addition, we conclude that the miRNA profile undergoes regulation from early to late abstinence and miRNA expression may indicate past drug history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aria Gillespie
- Center for Substance Abuse ResearchTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA,Department of Neural SciencesTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Hannah L. Mayberry
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, College of Liberal ArtsTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, College of Liberal ArtsTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Stephanie E. Sillivan
- Center for Substance Abuse ResearchTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA,Department of Neural SciencesTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Xue X, Zong W, Glausier JR, Kim SM, Shelton MA, Phan BN, Srinivasan C, Pfenning AR, Tseng GC, Lewis DA, Seney ML, Logan RW. Molecular rhythm alterations in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens associated with opioid use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:123. [PMID: 35347109 PMCID: PMC8960783 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe and persistent disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms are common in people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Preclinical evidence suggests altered molecular rhythms in the brain modulate opioid reward and relapse. However, whether molecular rhythms are disrupted in the brains of people with OUD remained an open question, critical to understanding the role of circadian rhythms in opioid addiction. Using subjects' times of death as a marker of time of day, we investigated transcriptional rhythms in the brains of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected comparison subjects. We discovered rhythmic transcripts in both the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), key brain areas involved in OUD, that were largely distinct between OUD and unaffected subjects. Fewer rhythmic transcripts were identified in DLPFC of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected subjects, whereas in the NAc, nearly double the number of rhythmic transcripts was identified in subjects with OUD. In NAc of subjects with OUD, rhythmic transcripts peaked either in the evening or near sunrise, and were associated with an opioid, dopamine, and GABAergic neurotransmission. Associations with altered neurotransmission in NAc were further supported by co-expression network analysis which identified OUD-specific modules enriched for transcripts involved in dopamine, GABA, and glutamatergic synaptic functions. Additionally, rhythmic transcripts in DLPFC and NAc of subjects with OUD were enriched for genomic loci associated with sleep-related GWAS traits, including sleep duration and insomnia. Collectively, our findings connect transcriptional rhythm changes in opioidergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic signaling in the human brain to sleep-related traits in opioid addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangning Xue
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Wei Zong
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Jill R. Glausier
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - Sam-Moon Kim
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - Micah A. Shelton
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - BaDoi N. Phan
- grid.147455.60000 0001 2097 0344Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- grid.147455.60000 0001 2097 0344Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
| | - Andreas R. Pfenning
- grid.147455.60000 0001 2097 0344Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA ,grid.147455.60000 0001 2097 0344Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
| | - George C. Tseng
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - David A. Lewis
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - Marianne L. Seney
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 USA ,grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Floris G, Gillespie A, Zanda MT, Dabrowski KR, Sillivan SE. Heroin Regulates Orbitofrontal Circular RNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1453. [PMID: 35163373 PMCID: PMC8836038 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of drug overdose deaths involving opioids continues to rise in the United States. Many patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) that seek treatment still experience relapse. Perseverant opioid seeking behaviors represent a major challenge to treating OUD and additional therapeutic development will require insight into opioid-induced neurobiological adaptations. In this study, we explored the regulation of a novel class of RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), by the addictive opioid heroin in the rat orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region that mediates behavioral responses to rewarding stimuli. Microarray analysis identified 76 OFC circRNAs significantly regulated in male rats after heroin self-administration. We evaluated the specificity of these findings by measuring heroin-associated circRNA expression in female rats after heroin self-administration and in rats that self-administered sucrose. We identify circGrin2b, circUbe2cp, circAnks1a, circAdcy5 and circSlc24A2 as heroin-responsive circRNAs in the OFC. Linear mRNA levels of heroin-associated circRNAs were unchanged except for Grin2b and Adcy5. An integrated bioinformatics analysis of regulated circRNAs identified microRNAs predicted to bind heroin-associated circRNAs and downstream targets of circRNA: microRNA sponging. Thus, heroin regulates the expression of OFC RNA splice variants that circularize and may impact cellular processes that contribute to the neurobiological adaptations that arise from chronic heroin exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Floris
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (G.F.); (A.G.); (M.T.Z.); (K.R.D.)
- Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Aria Gillespie
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (G.F.); (A.G.); (M.T.Z.); (K.R.D.)
- Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Mary Tresa Zanda
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (G.F.); (A.G.); (M.T.Z.); (K.R.D.)
- Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Konrad R. Dabrowski
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (G.F.); (A.G.); (M.T.Z.); (K.R.D.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Stephanie E. Sillivan
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (G.F.); (A.G.); (M.T.Z.); (K.R.D.)
- Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Brown TG, Xu J, Hurd YL, Pan YX. Dysregulated expression of the alternatively spliced variant mRNAs of the mu opioid receptor gene, OPRM1, in the medial prefrontal cortex of male human heroin abusers and heroin self-administering male rats. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:35-47. [PMID: 32506472 PMCID: PMC8143898 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Heroin, a mu agonist, acts through the mu opioid receptor. The mu opioid receptor gene, OPRM1, undergoes extensive alternative splicing, creating an array of splice variants that are conserved from rodent to humans. Increasing evidence suggests that these OPRM1 splice variants are pharmacologically important in mediating various actions of mu opioids, including analgesia, tolerance, physical dependence, rewarding behavior, as well as addiction. In the present study, we examine expression of the OPRM1 splice variant mRNAs in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), one of the major brain regions involved in decision-making and drug-seeking behaviors, of male human heroin abusers and male rats that developed stable heroin-seeking behavior using an intravenous heroin self-administration (SA) model. The results show similar expression profiles among multiple OPRM1 splice variants in both human control subjects and saline control rats, illustrating conservation of OPRM1 alternative splicing from rodent to humans. Moreover, the expressions of several OPRM1 splice variant mRNAs were dysregulated in the postmortem mPFCs from heroin abusers compared to the control subjects. Similar patterns were observed in the rat heroin SA model. These findings suggest potential roles of the OPRM1 splice variants in heroin addiction that could be mechanistically explored using the rat heroin SA model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor G Brown
- Department of Neurology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Neurology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ying-Xian Pan
- Department of Neurology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Seney ML, Kim SM, Glausier JR, Hildebrand MA, Xue X, Zong W, Wang J, Shelton MA, Phan BN, Srinivasan C, Pfenning AR, Tseng GC, Lewis DA, Freyberg Z, Logan RW. Transcriptional Alterations in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Implicate Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Remodeling in Opioid Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:550-562. [PMID: 34380600 PMCID: PMC8463497 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a surge of overdose deaths. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, an understanding of the biological alterations that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD remains limited. To address this limitation, RNA sequencing was conducted on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, regions heavily implicated in OUD, from postmortem brains in subjects with OUD. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens from unaffected comparison subjects (n = 20) and subjects diagnosed with OUD (n = 20). Our transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed transcripts and investigated the transcriptional coherence between brain regions using rank-rank hypergeometric orderlap. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified OUD-specific modules and gene networks. Integrative analyses between differentially expressed transcripts and genome-wide association study datasets using linkage disequilibrium scores assessed the genetic liability of psychiatric-related phenotypes in OUD. RESULTS Rank-rank hypergeometric overlap analyses revealed extensive overlap in transcripts between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in OUD, related to synaptic remodeling and neuroinflammation. Identified transcripts were enriched for factors that control proinflammatory cytokine, chondroitin sulfate, and extracellular matrix signaling. Cell-type deconvolution implicated a role for microglia as a potential driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity. Linkage disequilibrium score analysis suggested genetic liabilities for risky behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression in subjects with OUD. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings suggest connections between the brain's immune system and opioid dependence in the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L Seney
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sam-Moon Kim
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | - Jill R Glausier
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiangning Xue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Zong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Micah A Shelton
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - BaDoi N Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Andreas R Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan W Logan
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
5-HT 2A receptor- and M 1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated activation of Gα q/11 in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of opiate addicts. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:1155-1163. [PMID: 33835465 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00248-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic exposure to opiates causes the development of tolerance and physical dependence as well as persistent brain neuroplasticity. Despite a wealth of postmortem human studies for opiate addicts, little direct information regarding the functional status of serotonergic and cholinergic receptor-mediated signaling pathways in the human brain of opiate addicts is yet available. METHODS Functional activation of Gαq/11 proteins coupled to 5-HT2A and M1 type muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) was assessed by using the method named [35S]GTPγS binding/immunoprecipitation in frontal cortical membrane preparations from postmortem human brains obtained from opiate addicts and matched controls. RESULTS Concentration-response curves for 5-HT and carbachol in individual subjects were analyzed according to a nonlinear regression model, which generated the values of maximum percent increase (%Emax), negative logarithm of the half-maximal effect (pEC50) and slope factor. As for 5-HT2A receptor-mediated Gαq/11 activation, the %Emax values were reduced significantly and the pEC50 values were decreased significantly in opiate addicts as compared to the control group. Regarding carbachol-induced Gαq/11 activation, no significant difference in %Emax or pEC50 values was detected between the both groups, whereas the slope factor was increased significantly in opiate addicts as compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that the signaling pathways mediated by Gαq/11 proteins coupled with 5-HT2A receptors and M1 mAChRs in prefrontal cortex are functionally altered in opiate addicts in comparison with control subjects. These alterations may underpin some aspects of addictive behavior to opiate as well as neuropsychological consequences or comorbid mental disorders associated with opioid use.
Collapse
|
16
|
Choi MR, Jin YB, Kim HN, Chai YG, Im CN, Lee SR, Kim DJ. Gene expression in the striatum of cynomolgus monkeys after chronic administration of cocaine and heroin. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 128:686-698. [PMID: 33404192 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine and heroin cause impairment of neural plasticity in the brain including striatum. This study aimed to identify genes differentially expressed in the striatum of cynomolgus monkeys in response to cocaine and heroin. After chronic administration of cocaine and heroin in the monkeys, we performed large-scale transcriptome profiling in the striatum using RNA-Seq technology and analysed functional annotation. We found that 547 and 1238 transcripts were more than 1.5-fold up- or down-regulated in cocaine- and heroin-treated groups, respectively, compared to the control group, and 3432 transcripts exhibited differential expression between cocaine- and heroin-treated groups. Functional annotation analysis indicated that genes associated with nervous system development (NAGLU, MOBP and TTL7) and stress granule disassembly (KIF5B and KLC1) were differentially expressed in the cocaine-treated group compared to the control group, whereas gene associated with neuron apoptotic process (ERBB3) was differentially expressed in the heroin-treated group. In addition, IPA network analysis indicated that genes (TRAF6 and TRAF3IP2) associated with inflammation were increased by the chronic administration of cocaine and heroin. These results provide insight into the correlated molecular mechanisms as well as the upregulation and down-regulation of genes in the striatum after chronic exposure to cocaine and heroin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ran Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeung-Bae Jin
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Na Kim
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Gyu Chai
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Nim Im
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Rae Lee
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dai-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Blackwood CA, Cadet JL. The molecular neurobiology and neuropathology of opioid use disorder. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 2. [PMID: 35548327 PMCID: PMC9090195 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of people diagnosed with opioid use disorder has skyrocketed as a consequence of the opioid epidemic and the increased prescribing of opioid drugs for chronic pain relief. Opioid use disorder is characterized by loss of control of drug taking, continued drug use in the presence of adverse consequences, and repeated relapses to drug taking even after long periods of abstinence. Patients who suffer from opioid use disorder often present with cognitive deficits that are potentially secondary to structural brain abnormalities that vary according to the chemical composition of the abused opioid. This review details the neurobiological effects of oxycodone, morphine, heroin, methadone, and fentanyl on brain neurocircuitries by presenting the acute and chronic effects of these drugs on the human brain. In addition, we review results of neuroimaging in opioid use disorder patients and/or histological studies from brains of patients who had expired after acute intoxication following long-term use of these drugs. Moreover, we include relevant discussions of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in promoting abnormalities in the brains of opioid-exposed patients. Finally, we discuss how novel strategies could be used to provide pharmacological treatment against opioid use disorder. Brain abnormalities caused by opioid intoxication. Intoxication of opioids leads to defects in brain neurocircuitries. Insight into the molecular mechanisms associated with craving in heroin addicts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Corresponding author.Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program 251 Bayview Boulevard Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Blackwood CA, McCoy MT, Ladenheim B, Cadet JL. Escalated Oxycodone Self-Administration and Punishment: Differential Expression of Opioid Receptors and Immediate Early Genes in the Rat Dorsal Striatum and Prefrontal Cortex. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1392. [PMID: 31998063 PMCID: PMC6962106 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is characterized by compulsive drug taking despite adverse life consequences. Here, we sought to identify neurobiological consequences associated with the behavioral effects of contingent footshocks administered after escalation of oxycodone self-administration. To reach these goals, Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer oxycodone for 4 weeks and were then exposed to contingent electric footshocks. This paradigm helped to dichotomize rats into two distinct behavioral phenotypes: (1) those that reduce lever pressing (shock-sensitive) and (2) others that continue lever pressing (shock-resistant) for oxycodone during contingent punishment. The rats were euthanized at 2-h after the last oxycodone plus footshock session. The dorsal striata and prefrontal cortices were dissected for use in western blot and RT-qPCR analyses. All oxycodone self-administration rats showed significant decreased expression of Mu and Kappa opioid receptor proteins only in the dorsal striatum. However, expression of Delta opioid receptor protein was decreased in both brain regions. RT-qPCR analyses documented significant decreases in the expression of c-fos, fosB, fra2, junB, egr1, and egr2 mRNAs in the dorsal striatum (but not in PFC) of the shock-sensitive rats. In the PFC, junD expression was reduced in both phenotypes. However, egr3 mRNA expression was increased in the PFC of only shock-resistant rats. These results reveal that, similar to psychostimulants and alcohol, footshocks can dichotomize rats that escalated their intake of oxycodone into two distinct behavioral phenotypes. These animals also show significant differences in the mRNA expression of immediate early genes, mainly, in the dorsal striatum. The increases in PFC egr3 expression in the shock-resistant rats suggest that Egr3 might be involved in the persistence of oxycodone-associated memory under aversive conditions. This punishment-driven model may help to identify neurobiological substrates of persistent oxycodone taking and abstinence in the presence of adverse consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Blackwood
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Michael T McCoy
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Bruce Ladenheim
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Translational Molecular Approaches in Substance Abuse Research. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 258:31-60. [PMID: 31628598 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Excessive abuse of psychoactive substances is one of the leading contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this book chapter, we review translational research strategies that are applied in the pursuit of new and more effective therapeutics for substance use disorder (SUD). The complex, multidimensional nature of psychiatric disorders like SUD presents difficult challenges to investigators. While animal models are critical for outlining the mechanistic relationships between defined behaviors and genetic and/or molecular changes, the heterogeneous pathophysiology of brain diseases is uniquely human, necessitating the use of human studies and translational research schemes. Translational research describes a cross-species approach in which findings from human patient-based data can be used to guide molecular genetic investigations in preclinical animal models in order to delineate the mechanisms of reward circuitry changes in the addicted state. Results from animal studies can then inform clinical investigations toward the development of novel treatments for SUD. Here we describe the strategies that are used to identify and functionally validate genetic variants in the human genome which may contribute to increased risk for SUD, starting from early candidate gene approaches to more recent genome-wide association studies. We will next examine studies aimed at understanding how transcriptional and epigenetic dysregulation in SUD can persistently alter cellular function in the disease state. In our discussion, we then focus on examples from the literature illustrating molecular genetic methodologies that have been applied to studies of different substances of abuse - from alcohol and nicotine to stimulants and opioids - in order to exemplify how these approaches can both delineate the underlying molecular systems driving drug addiction and provide insights into the genetic basis of SUD.
Collapse
|
20
|
Egervari G, Kozlenkov A, Dracheva S, Hurd YL. Molecular windows into the human brain for psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:653-673. [PMID: 29955163 PMCID: PMC6310674 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0125-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Delineating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders has been extremely challenging but technological advances in recent decades have facilitated a deeper interrogation of molecular processes in the human brain. Initial candidate gene expression studies of the postmortem brain have evolved into genome wide profiling of the transcriptome and the epigenome, a critical regulator of gene expression. Here, we review the potential and challenges of direct molecular characterization of the postmortem human brain, and provide a brief overview of recent transcriptional and epigenetic studies with respect to neuropsychiatric disorders. Such information can now be leveraged and integrated with the growing number of genome-wide association databases to provide a functional context of trait-associated genetic variants linked to psychiatric illnesses and related phenotypes. While it is clear that the field is still developing and challenges remain to be surmounted, these recent advances nevertheless hold tremendous promise for delineating the neurobiological underpinnings of mental diseases and accelerating the development of novel medication strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Egervari
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Addiction Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Epigenetics Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alexey Kozlenkov
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Stella Dracheva
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Addiction Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Caputi FF, Caffino L, Candeletti S, Fumagalli F, Romualdi P. Short-term withdrawal from repeated exposure to cocaine during adolescence modulates dynorphin mRNA levels and BDNF signaling in the rat nucleus accumbens. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 197:127-133. [PMID: 30818133 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life stressful events affect the neurobiological maturation of cerebral circuitries including the endogenous opioid system and the effects elicited by adolescent cocaine exposure on this system have been poorly investigated. Here, we evaluated whether cocaine exposure during adolescence causes short- or long-term alterations in mRNAs codifying for selected elements belonging to the opioid system. Moreover, since brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may undergo simultaneous alterations with the opioid peptide dynorphin, we also evaluated its signaling pathway as well. METHODS Adolescent male rats were exposed to cocaine (20 mg/kg/day) from post-natal day (PND) 28 to PND42, approximately corresponding to human adolescence. After short- (PND45) or long-term (PND90) abstinence, prodynorphin-κ-opioid receptor (pDYN-KOP) and pronociceptin-nociceptin receptor (pN/OFQ-NOP) gene expression were evaluated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hippocampus (Hip) together with the analysis of BDNF signaling pathways. RESULTS In the NAc of PND45 rats, pDYN mRNA levels were up-regulated, an effect paralled by increased BDNF signaling. Differently from NAc, pDYN mRNA levels were down-regulated in the Hip of PND45 rats without significant changes of BDNF pathway. At variance from PND45 rats, we did not find any significant alteration of the investigated parameters either in NAc and Hip of PND90 rats. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the short-term withdrawal from adolescent cocaine exposure is characterized by a parallel pDYN mRNA and BDNF signaling increase in the NAc. Given the depressive-like state experienced during short abstinence in humans, we hypothesize that such changes may contribute to promote the risk of cocaine abuse escalation and relapse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Felicia Caputi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Irnerio 48, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucia Caffino
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sanzio Candeletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Irnerio 48, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Romualdi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Irnerio 48, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Huang CC, Kuo SC, Yeh TC, Yeh YW, Chen CY, Liang CS, Tsou CC, Lin CL, Ho PS, Huang SY. OPRD1 gene affects disease vulnerability and environmental stress in patients with heroin dependence in Han Chinese. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:109-116. [PMID: 30171993 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stress not only increases the vulnerability to heroin dependence (HD) but also provokes relapse. The etiology of HD and the role of life stress remain unclear, but prior studies suggested that both genetic and environmental factors are important. Opioid related genes, including OPRM1, OPRD1, OPRK1, and POMC, are obvious candidates for HD. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore whether the genetic polymorphisms of the candidates could affect vulnerability to HD and response to life stress in patients with HD. Ten polymorphisms of the opioid related genes were analyzed in 801 patients and 530 controls. The Life Event Questionnaire was used to assess the perspective and response to life stress in the past year. The genotype distribution and allelic frequency analyses showed that the minor C allele of rs2234918 in OPRD1 is over-represented in the HD group (P = .006 and P = .002, respectively). This finding was further confirmed by logistic regression analysis, showing that C allele carriers have a 1.42 times greater risk for HD compared to T/T homozygotes. A subgroup of 421 patients and 135 controls were eligible for life stress assessment. Patients with HD have a higher occurrence of negative events (No), negative events score (Ns), and average negative event score (Na) than those of controls (all P < .001), but there was no difference regarding positive recent events between the two groups. Gene-stress assessment in the HD group showed that T/T homozygotes of OPRD1 rs2236857 have more severe stress than C allele carriers (Ns, P = .004 and Na, P = .047). Our results indicate that the OPRD1 gene may not only play a role in the pathogenesis of HD but also affect the response to life stress among patients with HD in our Han Chinese population. Patients with the risk genotype may need additional psychosocial intervention for relapse prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Chih Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Chang Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ta-Chuan Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wei Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yen Chen
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Sung Liang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Chih Tsou
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Long Lin
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Shen Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - San-Yuan Huang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Chowdhury D, Singh A, Gupta A, Tulsawani R, Meena RC, Chakrabarti A. p38 MAPK pathway-dependent SUMOylation of Elk-1 and phosphorylation of PIAS2 correlate with the downregulation of Elk-1 activity in heat-stressed HeLa cells. Cell Stress Chaperones 2019; 24:393-407. [PMID: 30783905 PMCID: PMC6439063 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-019-00974-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-activated and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate gene expression by post-translational modifications of transcription factors. Elk-1, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of immediate early genes, is amenable to regulation by all the three mammalian MAPKs. In the present report, using inhibitors specific for different MAPK pathways, we show that during exposure of HeLa cells to heat stress, Elk-1 is SUMOylated with SUMO1 by p38 MAPK pathway-dependent mechanisms. Elk-1-phosphorylation levels were significantly reduced under similar conditions. We also show that transcriptional activity of Elk-1 as assessed by luciferase reporter expression and qPCR estimation of the expression of genes regulated by Elk-1 was downregulated upon exposure to heat stress; this downregulation was reversed when heat exposure was performed in the presence of either SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) or ginkgolic acid (inhibitor of SUMOylation). Elk-1 induced transcription is also regulated by PIAS2 which acts as a coactivator upon the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and as a corepressor upon its phosphorylation by p38 MAPK. Since heat stress activates the p38 MAPK pathway, we determined if PIAS2 was phosphorylated in heat-stressed HeLa cells. Our studies indicate that in HeLa cells exposed to heat stress, PIAS2 is phosphorylated by p38 MAPK pathway-dependent mechanisms. Collectively, the results presented demonstrate that in heat-stressed HeLa cells, p38 MAPK pathway-dependent SUMOylation of Elk-1 and phosphorylation of PIAS2 correlate with the downregulation of transactivation by Elk-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daipayan Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular Biology, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Ajeet Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Avinash Gupta
- Department of Molecular Biology, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Rajkumar Tulsawani
- Department of Chemistry, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Ramesh Chand Meena
- Department of Molecular Biology, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India.
| | - Amitabha Chakrabarti
- Department of Molecular Biology, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Aberoumandi SM, Vousooghi N, Tabrizi BA, Karimi P. Heroin-based crack induces hyperalgesia through β-arrestin 2 redistribution and phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and JNK in the periaqueductal gray area. Neurosci Lett 2019; 698:133-139. [PMID: 30641110 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Continuous use of crack induces hyperalgesia which is related to drug tolerance. Despite cumulative evidence based on the growth rate of crack abuse, no serious study has been focused on the mechanisms of crack-induced hyperalgesia. This study aimed to elucidate whether extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erk1/2)/β-arrestin pathways are involved in the crack-induced hyperalgesia. Fifty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal saline (NS), crack (0.9 mg/kg/day), heroin (1 mg/kg/day), crack + barbadin (100 μM), and heroin + barbadin groups, which received their intraperitoneal (i.p) treatments for four weeks. The thermal sensitivity was assessed using the hot-plate test. Moreover, phosphorylation of the Erk1/2 and JNK, as well as expression of protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-α), Mu-receptor (MOR), and β-arrestin 2 were determined in the whole lysate and membrane fraction using immunoblotting assay in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) area. The results demonstrated that chronic administration of crack and heroin significantly decreased hind-paw withdrawal latency compared to the NS group. Furthermore, crack as well as heroin administration increased phosphorylated Erk1/2 and JNK in the PAG. In addition, membrane β-arrestin 2 and PKC-α were significantly increased in the crack and heroin-received groups, while membrane MOR expression was decreased in the PAG. Nevertheless, co-administration of barbadin, an inhibitor of β-arrestin, and crack or heroin reversed all these changes. Our findings may partially confirm the role of β-arrestin 2 and PKC rearrangements, Erk1/2 and JNK phosphorylation in crack-induced hyperalgesia and provide potential therapeutic targets to attenuate crack-induced hyperalgesia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohsen Aberoumandi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran; Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University Of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nasim Vousooghi
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Amoughli Tabrizi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Pouran Karimi
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University Of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
The opioid epidemic is at the epicenter of the drug crisis, resulting in an inconceivable number of overdose deaths and exorbitant associated medical costs that have crippled many communities across the socioeconomic spectrum in the United States. Classic medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder predominantly target the opioid system and thus have been underutilized, in part due to their own potential for abuse and heavy regulatory burden for patients and clinicians. Opioid antagonists are now evolving in their use, not only to prevent acute overdoses but as extended-use treatment options. Strategies that target specific genetic and epigenetic factors, along with novel nonopioid medications, hold promise as future therapeutic interventions for opioid abuse. Success in increasing the treatment options in the clinical toolbox will, hopefully, help to end the historical pattern of recurring opioid epidemics. [AJP at 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future Drug Addiction in Relation to Problems of Adolescence Zimmering and colleagues wrote in the midst of an opiate epidemic among young people that "only the human being, or rather certain types of human beings, will return to the enslaving, self-destructive habit." (Am J Psychiatry 1952; 109:272-278 )].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin L. Hurd
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Addiction Institute, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System, New York
| | - Charles P. O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Belzeaux R, Lalanne L, Kieffer BL, Lutz PE. Focusing on the Opioid System for Addiction Biomarker Discovery. Trends Mol Med 2018; 24:206-220. [PMID: 29396147 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) and behavioral addictions are devastating conditions that impose a severe burden on all societies, and represent difficult challenges for clinicians. Therefore, biomarkers are urgently needed to help predict vulnerability, clinical course, and response to treatment. Here, we elaborate on the potential for addiction biomarker discovery of the opioid system, particularly within the emerging framework aiming to probe opioid function in peripheral tissues. Mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors all critically regulate neurobiological and behavioral processes that define addiction, and are also targeted by major pharmacotherapies used in the management of patients with SUD. We propose that opioid biomarkers may have the potential to improve and guide diagnosis and therapeutic decisions in the addiction field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Belzeaux
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Pôle de Psychiatrie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France; INT-UMR7289,CNRS Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; These authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Laurence Lalanne
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg and Medical School of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, University Hospital of Strasbourg and Medical School of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; These authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Eric Lutz
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Current address: Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212, Strasbourg, France.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bough KJ, Pollock JD. Defining Substance Use Disorders: The Need for Peripheral Biomarkers. Trends Mol Med 2018; 24:109-120. [PMID: 29396146 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a brain disease, and current diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders (SUDs) are qualitative. Nevertheless, scientific advances are beginning to characterize neurobiological domains. Combining multiple units of measure may provide an opportunity to deconstruct the heterogeneities of a SUD and define endophenotypes by using peripheral biospecimens. There are several recent examples of potential biomarker types that can be examined, together with their categorical applications for SUDs. We propose that, in conjunction with rapidly advancing statistical and mathematical modeling techniques, there is now a unique opportunity for the discovery of composite biomarkers within specific domains of addiction; these may lay the foundation for future biomarker qualification, with important implications for drug development and medical care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher J Bough
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Jonathan D Pollock
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kozlenkov A, Jaffe AE, Timashpolsky A, Apontes P, Rudchenko S, Barbu M, Byne W, Hurd YL, Horvath S, Dracheva S. DNA Methylation Profiling of Human Prefrontal Cortex Neurons in Heroin Users Shows Significant Difference between Genomic Contexts of Hyper- and Hypomethylation and a Younger Epigenetic Age. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8060152. [PMID: 28556790 PMCID: PMC5485516 DOI: 10.3390/genes8060152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We employed Illumina 450 K Infinium microarrays to profile DNA methylation (DNAm) in neuronal nuclei separated by fluorescence-activated sorting from the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of heroin users who died from heroin overdose (N = 37), suicide completers (N = 22) with no evidence of heroin use and from control subjects who did not abuse illicit drugs and died of non-suicide causes (N = 28). We identified 1298 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMSs) between heroin users and controls, and 454 DMSs between suicide completers and controls (p < 0.001). DMSs and corresponding genes (DMGs) in heroin users showed significant differences in the preferential context of hyper and hypo DM. HyperDMSs were enriched in gene bodies and exons but depleted in promoters, whereas hypoDMSs were enriched in promoters and enhancers. In addition, hyperDMGs showed preference for genes expressed specifically by glutamatergic as opposed to GABAergic neurons and enrichment for axonogenesis- and synaptic-related gene ontology categories, whereas hypoDMGs were enriched for transcription factor activity- and gene expression regulation-related terms. Finally, we found that the DNAm-based “epigenetic age” of neurons from heroin users was younger than that in controls. Suicide-related results were more difficult to interpret. Collectively, these findings suggest that the observed DNAm differences could represent functionally significant marks of heroin-associated plasticity in the OFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Kozlenkov
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
- The Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Andrew E Jaffe
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics and Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | | | - Pasha Apontes
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
| | | | - Mihaela Barbu
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - William Byne
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
- The Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- The Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Stella Dracheva
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
- The Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Egervari G, Landry J, Callens J, Fullard JF, Roussos P, Keller E, Hurd YL. Striatal H3K27 Acetylation Linked to Glutamatergic Gene Dysregulation in Human Heroin Abusers Holds Promise as Therapeutic Target. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:585-594. [PMID: 27863698 PMCID: PMC5346335 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opiate abuse and overdose reached epidemic levels in the United States. However, despite significant advances in animal and in vitro models, little knowledge has been directly accrued regarding the neurobiology of the opiate-addicted human brain. METHODS We used postmortem human brain specimens from a homogeneous European Caucasian population of heroin users for transcriptional and epigenetic profiling, as well as direct assessment of chromatin accessibility in the striatum, a brain region central to reward and emotion. A rat heroin self-administration model was used to obtain translational molecular and behavioral insights. RESULTS Our transcriptome approach revealed marked impairments related to glutamatergic neurotransmission and chromatin remodeling in the human striatum. A series of biochemical experiments tracked the specific location of the epigenetic disturbances to hyperacetylation of lysine 27 of histone H3, showing dynamic correlations with heroin use history and acute opiate toxicology. Targeted investigation of GRIA1, a glutamatergic gene implicated in drug-seeking behavior, verified the increased enrichment of lysine-27 acetylated histone H3 at discrete loci, accompanied by enhanced chromatin accessibility at hyperacetylated regions in the gene body. Analogous epigenetic impairments were detected in the striatum of heroin self-administering rats. Using this translational model, we showed that bromodomain inhibitor JQ1, which blocks the functional readout of acetylated lysines, reduced heroin self-administration and cue-induced drug-seeking behavior. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data suggest that heroin-related histone H3 hyperacetylation contributes to glutamatergic transcriptional changes that underlie addiction behavior and identify JQ1 as a promising candidate for targeted clinical interventions in heroin use disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Egervari
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Joseph Landry
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute
| | - James Callens
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute
| | - John F Fullard
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Department of Genetics and Genomic Science and Institute for Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
| | - Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Department of Genetics and Genomic Science and Institute for Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (VISN 3), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Eva Keller
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Johnson EO, Hancock DB, Levy JL, Gaddis NC, Page GP, Glasheen C, Saccone NL, Bierut LJ, Kral AH. KAT2B polymorphism identified for drug abuse in African Americans with regulatory links to drug abuse pathways in human prefrontal cortex. Addict Biol 2016. [PMID: 26202629 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Drug abuse is a common and heritable set of disorders, but the underlying genetic factors are largely unknown. We conducted genome-wide association studies of drug abuse using 7 million imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions in African Americans (AAs; n = 3742) and European Americans (EAs; n = 6845). Cases were drawn from the Urban Health Study of street-recruited people, who injected drugs and reported abusing opioids, cocaine, marijuana, stimulants and/or other drugs 10 or more times in the past 30 days, and were compared with population controls. Independent replication testing was conducted in 755 AAs and 1131 EAs from the Genetic Association Information Network. An intronic SNP (rs9829896) in the K(lysine) acetyltransferase 2B (KAT2B) gene was significantly associated with drug abuse in AAs (P = 4.63 × 10-8 ) and independently replicated in AAs (P = 0.0019). The rs9829896-C allele (frequency = 12%) had odds ratios of 0.68 and 0.53 across the AA cohorts: meta-analysis P = 3.93 × 10-10 . Rs9829896-C was not associated with drug abuse across the EA cohorts: frequency = 36% and meta-analysis P = 0.12. Using dorsolateral prefrontal cortex data from the BrainCloud cohort, we found that rs9829896-C was associated with reduced KAT2B expression in AAs (n = 113, P = 0.050) but not EAs (n = 110, P = 0.39). KAT2B encodes a transcriptional regulator in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate and dopamine signaling pathways, and rs9829896-C was associated with expression of genes in these pathways: reduced CREBBP expression (P = 0.011) and increased OPRM1 expression (P = 0.016), both in AAs only. Our study identified the KAT2B SNP rs9829896 as having novel and biologically plausible associations with drug abuse and gene expression in AAs but not EAs, suggesting ancestry-specific effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric O. Johnson
- Fellow Program and Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division; RTI International; Research Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Dana B. Hancock
- Behavioral and Urban Health Program, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division; RTI International; Research Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Joshua L. Levy
- Research Computing Division; RTI International; Research Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Nathan C. Gaddis
- Research Computing Division; RTI International; Research Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Grier P. Page
- Fellow Program, Center for Genomics in Public Health and Medicine, and Genomics, Statistical Genetics, and Environmental Research Program; RTI International; Atlanta GA USA
| | - Cristie Glasheen
- Behavioral and Urban Health Program, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division; RTI International; Research Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Nancy L. Saccone
- Department of Genetics; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis MO USA
| | - Laura J. Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis MO USA
| | - Alex H. Kral
- Behavioral and Urban Health Program, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division; RTI International; San Francisco CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Oikkonen J, Kuusi T, Peltonen P, Raijas P, Ukkola-Vuoti L, Karma K, Onkamo P, Järvelä I. Creative Activities in Music--A Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148679. [PMID: 26909693 PMCID: PMC4766096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative activities in music represent a complex cognitive function of the human brain, whose biological basis is largely unknown. In order to elucidate the biological background of creative activities in music we performed genome-wide linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) scans in musically experienced individuals characterised for self-reported composing, arranging and non-music related creativity. The participants consisted of 474 individuals from 79 families, and 103 sporadic individuals. We found promising evidence for linkage at 16p12.1-q12.1 for arranging (LOD 2.75, 120 cases), 4q22.1 for composing (LOD 2.15, 103 cases) and Xp11.23 for non-music related creativity (LOD 2.50, 259 cases). Surprisingly, statistically significant evidence for linkage was found for the opposite phenotype of creative activity in music (neither composing nor arranging; NCNA) at 18q21 (LOD 3.09, 149 cases), which contains cadherin genes like CDH7 and CDH19. The locus at 4q22.1 overlaps the previously identified region of musical aptitude, music perception and performance giving further support for this region as a candidate region for broad range of music-related traits. The other regions at 18q21 and 16p12.1-q12.1 are also adjacent to the previously identified loci with musical aptitude. Pathway analysis of the genes suggestively associated with composing suggested an overrepresentation of the cerebellar long-term depression pathway (LTD), which is a cellular model for synaptic plasticity. The LTD also includes cadherins and AMPA receptors, whose component GSG1L was linked to arranging. These results suggest that molecular pathways linked to memory and learning via LTD affect music-related creative behaviour. Musical creativity is a complex phenotype where a common background with musicality and intelligence has been proposed. Here, we implicate genetic regions affecting music-related creative behaviour, which also include genes with neuropsychiatric associations. We also propose a common genetic background for music-related creative behaviour and musical abilities at chromosome 4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaana Oikkonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Tuire Kuusi
- Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Peltonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Liisa Ukkola-Vuoti
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai Karma
- Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Onkamo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irma Järvelä
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kovacs GG, Horvath MC, Majtenyi K, Lutz MI, Hurd YL, Keller E. Heroin abuse exaggerates age-related deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau and p62-positive inclusions. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:3100-3107. [PMID: 26254956 PMCID: PMC4609594 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The observation of increased hyperphosphorylated tau levels correlating with microglial activation in opiate abusers has been interpreted as predisposition to accelerated Alzheimer disease-related changes. The present study focused on evaluating additional neurodegeneration-related proteins, including α-synuclein and TDP-43, and p62-positive deposits. We performed a systematic mapping of protein deposits in the brains of 27 individuals with documented heroin addiction (age: 19-40 years) and compared with 11 controls (age: 15-40 years). We confirm previous findings that heroin addiction associates with tau hyperphosphorylation in predilection brain areas for aging and Alzheimer disease. Furthermore, we show that this occurs also in areas implicated in the molecular disturbances and in vivo neuronal networks related to heroin abuse. There was, however, no presence of amyloid-beta deposits. We extend previous findings by showing the lack of TDP-43 or α-synuclein pathology and emphasize the independent effect of the duration of drug use on the appearance of age-related p62-positive neuritic profiles. These observations provide unique insights about neuropathological alterations in the brains of young heroin addicts and have implications about brain aging and the influences of environmental and toxic factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Monika Cs Horvath
- Department of Forensic Medicine, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katalin Majtenyi
- Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mirjam I Lutz
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eva Keller
- Department of Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
López Soto EJ, Catanesi CI. Human population genetic structure detected by pain-related mu opioid receptor gene polymorphisms. Genet Mol Biol 2015; 38:152-5. [PMID: 26273217 PMCID: PMC4530646 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-4757382220140299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Mu Opioid Receptor gene (OPRM1) have been identified and associated with a wide variety of clinical phenotypes related both to pain sensitivity and analgesic requirements. The A118G and other potentially functional OPRM1 SNPs show significant differences in their allele distributions among populations. However, they have not been properly addressed in a population genetic analysis. Population stratification could lead to erroneous conclusions when they are not taken into account in association studies. The aim of our study was to analyze OPRM1 SNP variability by comparing population samples of the International Hap Map database and to analyze a new population sample from the city of Corrientes, Argentina. The results confirm that OPRM1 SNP variability differs among human populations and displays a clear ancestry genetic structure, with three population clusters: Africa, Asia, and Europe-America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Javier López Soto
- Laboratory of Genetic Diversity, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina ; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Inés Catanesi
- Laboratory of Genetic Diversity, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina ; Facultad de Cs. Naturales y Museo UNLP, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
This paper is the thirty-sixth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2013 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia; stress and social status; tolerance and dependence; learning and memory; eating and drinking; alcohol and drugs of abuse; sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology; mental illness and mood; seizures and neurologic disorders; electrical-related activity and neurophysiology; general activity and locomotion; gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; and immunological responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
Despite the importance of numerous psychosocial factors, at its core, drug addiction involves a biological process: the ability of repeated exposure to a drug of abuse to induce changes in a vulnerable brain that drive the compulsive seeking and taking of drugs, and loss of control over drug use, that define a state of addiction. Here, we review the types of molecular and cellular adaptations that occur in specific brain regions to mediate addiction-associated behavioral abnormalities. These include alterations in gene expression achieved in part via epigenetic mechanisms, plasticity in the neurophysiological functioning of neurons and synapses, and associated plasticity in neuronal and synaptic morphology mediated in part by altered neurotrophic factor signaling. Each of these types of drug-induced modifications can be viewed as a form of “cellular or molecular memory.” Moreover, it is striking that most addiction-related forms of plasticity are very similar to the types of plasticity that have been associated with more classic forms of “behavioral memory,” perhaps reflecting the finite repertoire of adaptive mechanisms available to neurons when faced with environmental challenges. Finally, addiction-related molecular and cellular adaptations involve most of the same brain regions that mediate more classic forms of memory, consistent with the view that abnormal memories are important drivers of addiction syndromes. The goal of these studies which aim to explicate the molecular and cellular basis of drug addiction is to eventually develop biologically based diagnostic tests, as well as more effective treatments for addiction disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Anderson SAR, Michaelides M, Zarnegar P, Ren Y, Fagergren P, Thanos PK, Wang GJ, Bannon M, Neumaier JF, Keller E, Volkow ND, Hurd YL. Impaired periamygdaloid-cortex prodynorphin is characteristic of opiate addiction and depression. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:5334-41. [PMID: 24231353 DOI: 10.1172/jci70395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Negative affect is critical for conferring vulnerability to opiate addiction as reflected by the high comorbidity of opiate abuse with major depressive disorder (MDD). Rodent models implicate amygdala prodynorphin (Pdyn) as a mediator of negative affect; however, evidence of PDYN involvement in human negative affect is limited. Here, we found reduced PDYN mRNA expression in the postmortem human amygdala nucleus of the periamygdaloid cortex (PAC) in both heroin abusers and MDD subjects. Similar to humans, rats that chronically self-administered heroin had reduced Pdyn mRNA expression in the PAC at a time point associated with a negative affective state. Using the in vivo functional imaging technology DREAMM (DREADD-assisted metabolic mapping, where DREADD indicates designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs), we found that selective inhibition of Pdyn-expressing neurons in the rat PAC increased metabolic activity in the extended amygdala, which is a key substrate of the extrahypothalamic brain stress system. In parallel, PAC-specific Pdyn inhibition provoked negative affect-related physiological and behavioral changes. Altogether, our translational study supports a functional role for impaired Pdyn in the PAC in opiate abuse through activation of the stress and negative affect neurocircuitry implicated in addiction vulnerability.
Collapse
|