1
|
Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu 5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01889-0. [PMID: 38773314 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01889-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. The proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. The activity of the PFC is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), a key subpopulation of fast-spiking GABAergic cells that regulate cortical excitability through direct innervations onto the perisomatic regions of nearby pyramidal cells. Recent rodent studies have identified notable sex differences in PV-IN activity and adaptations to experiences such as binge drinking. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-specific regulation of PFC PV-IN function. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and selective pharmacology, we report that PV-INs from female mice are more excitable than those from males. Moreover, we find that mGlu1 and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate cell excitability, excitatory drive, and endocannabinoid signaling at PFC PV-INs in a sex-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of mGlu5 receptors from PV-expressing cells abrogates all sex differences observed in PV-IN membrane and synaptic physiology. Lastly, we report that female, but not male, PV-mGlu5-/- mice exhibit decreased voluntary drinking on an intermittent access schedule, which could be related to changes in ethanol's stimulant properties. Importantly, these studies identify mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors as candidate signaling molecules involved in sex differences in PV-IN activity and behaviors relevant to alcohol use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Fabian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nilah D Jordan
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca H Cole
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lily G Carley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Przybysz KR, Shillinglaw JE, Wheeler SR, Glover EJ. Chronic ethanol exposure produces long-lasting, subregion-specific physiological adaptations in RMTg-projecting mPFC neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592759. [PMID: 38766178 PMCID: PMC11100703 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Chronic ethanol exposure produces neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) which facilitate the maladaptive behaviors interfering with recovery from alcohol use disorder. Despite evidence that different cortico-subcortical projections play distinct roles in behavior, few studies have examined the physiological effects of chronic ethanol at the circuit level. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) is a GABAergic midbrain region involved in aversive signaling and is functionally altered by chronic ethanol exposure. Our recent work identified a dense input from the mPFC to the RMTg, yet the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on this circuitry is unknown. In the current study, we examined physiological changes after chronic ethanol exposure in prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) mPFC neurons projecting to the RMTg. Adult male Long-Evans rats were injected with fluorescent retrobeads into the RMTg and rendered dependent using a 14-day chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure paradigm. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed in fluorescently-labeled (RMTg-projecting) and -unlabeled (projection-undefined) layer 5 pyramidal neurons 7-10 days following ethanol exposure. CIE significantly increased intrinsic excitability as well as excitatory and inhibitory synaptic drive in RMTg-projecting IL neurons. In contrast, no lasting changes in excitability were observed in RMTg-projecting PL neurons, although a CIE-induced reduction in excitability was observed in projection-undefined PL neurons. CIE also increased excitatory synaptic drive in RMTg-projecting PL neurons. These data uncover novel subregion- and circuit-specific neuroadaptations in the mPFC following chronic ethanol exposure and reveal that the IL mPFC-RMTg projection is uniquely vulnerable to long-lasting effects of chronic ethanol.
Collapse
|
3
|
Doyle MA, Salimando GJ, Altemus ME, Badt JK, Bedenbaugh MN, Vardy AS, Adank DN, Park AS, Winder DG. BNST GluN2D-containing NMDARs contribute to ethanol intake but not negative affective behaviors in female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.19.590258. [PMID: 38659775 PMCID: PMC11042366 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.19.590258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing disease, highly comorbid with anxiety and depression. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and Crh + neurons in this region are thought to play a key role in chronic ethanol-induced increases in volitional ethanol intake. This role has been hypothesized to be driven by emergent BNST-dependent negative affective behaviors. Indeed, we report here that in female mice undergoing a home cage chronic drinking forced abstinence model (CDFA), excitatory transmission undergoes time-dependent upregulation in BNST Crh + cells. Excitatory NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are a major target of ethanol, and chronic ethanol exposure has been shown to regulate NMDAR function and expression. GluN2D subunit-containing NMDARs have emerged as a target of interest due to their limited distribution and potential roles in affective behavior. We find that knockdown of dorsal BNST (dBNST) GluN2D expression significantly decreases ethanol intake in female, but not male, mice. While BNST Grin2b expression was significantly increased in protracted abstinence following CDFA, no differences in Grin2d expression were observed in dBNST or specifically in dBNST Crh + neurons. Finally, to determine the impact of GluN2D expression on negative affective behaviors, open field, elevated zero maze, and forced swim tasks were used to measure anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in constitutive and conditional BNST GluN2D knockout mice. Surprisingly, we find that deletion of GluN2D fails to alter negative affect in ethanol-naïve female mice. Together, these data suggest a role for BNST GluN2D-containing NMDARs in ethanol drinking behaviors but not abstinence from ethanol, highlighting potential sex differences and behavioral specificity in the context of AUD behaviors. Overall, these data further suggest roles for BNST synaptic signaling in volitional ethanol intake that are partially independent of actions on affective behavior.
Collapse
|
4
|
Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.20.567903. [PMID: 38045379 PMCID: PMC10690210 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.20.567903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. Proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. Activity of the PFC is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), a key subpopulation of fast-spiking GABAergic cells that regulate cortical excitability through direct innervations onto the perisomatic regions of nearby pyramidal cells. Recent rodent studies have identified notable sex differences in PV-IN activity and adaptations to experiences such as binge drinking. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-specific regulation of PFC PV-IN function. Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology and selective pharmacology, we report that PV-INs from female mice are more excitable than those from males. Moreover, we find that mGlu1 and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate cell excitability, excitatory drive, and endocannabinoid signaling at PFC PV-INs in a sex-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of mGlu5 receptors from PV-expressing cells abrogates all sex differences observed in PV-IN membrane and synaptic physiology. Lastly, we report that female, but not male, PV-mGlu5-/- mice exhibit decreased voluntary drinking on an intermittent access schedule, which could be related to changes in ethanols stimulant properties. Importantly, these studies identify mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors as candidate signaling molecules involved in sex differences in PV-IN activity and behaviors relevant for alcohol use.
Collapse
|
5
|
Peedikayil-Kurien S, Setty H, Oren-Suissa M. Environmental experiences shape sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits and behaviour. FEBS J 2024; 291:1080-1101. [PMID: 36582142 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dimorphic traits, shaped by both natural and sexual selection, ensure optimal fitness and survival of the organism. This includes neuronal circuits that are largely affected by different experiences and environmental conditions. Recent evidence suggests that sexual dimorphism of neuronal circuits extends to different levels such as neuronal activity, connectivity and molecular topography that manifest in response to various experiences, including chemical exposures, starvation and stress. In this review, we propose some common principles that govern experience-dependent sexually dimorphic circuits in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. While sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits are predetermined, they have to maintain a certain level of fluidity to be adaptive to different experiences. The first layer of dimorphism is at the level of the neuronal circuit, which appears to be dictated by sex-biased transcription factors. This could subsequently lead to differences in the second layer of regulation namely connectivity and synaptic properties. The third regulator of experience-dependent responses is the receptor level, where dimorphic expression patterns determine the primary sensory encoding. We also highlight missing pieces in this field and propose future directions that can shed light onto novel aspects of sexual dimorphism with potential benefits to sex-specific therapeutic approaches. Thus, sexual identity and experience simultaneously determine behaviours that ultimately result in the maximal survival success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hagar Setty
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Thompson SM, Fabian CB, Ferranti AS, Joffe ME. Acute alcohol and chronic drinking bidirectionally regulate the excitability of prefrontal cortex vasoactive intestinal peptide interneurons. Neuropharmacology 2023; 238:109638. [PMID: 37482180 PMCID: PMC10529784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulates drinking behaviors and affective changes following chronic alcohol use. PFC activity is dynamically modulated by local inhibitory interneurons (INs), which can be divided into non-overlapping groups with distinct functional roles. Within deeper layers of neocortex, INs that express either parvalbumin or somatostatin directly inhibit pyramidal cells. By contrast, the plurality of all remaining INs express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), reside within superficial layers, and preferentially target other types of INs. While recent studies have described adaptations to PFC parvalbumin-INs and somatostatin-INs in alcohol use models, whether ethanol or drinking affect the physiology of PFC VIP-INs has not been reported. To address this gap, we used genetically engineered female and male mice to target VIP-INs in layers 1-3 of prelimbic PFC for whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. We found that ethanol (20 mM, ∼0.09 BEC/90 mg/dL) application to PFC brain slices enhances VIP-IN excitability. We next examined effects following chronic drinking by providing mice with 4 weeks of intermittent access (IA) ethanol two-bottle choice in the home cage. In these studies, VIP-INs from female and male IA ethanol mice displayed reduced excitability relative to cells from water-only controls. Finally, we assessed whether these effects continue into abstinence. After 7-13 days without ethanol, the hypo-excitability of VIP-INs from male IA ethanol mice persisted, whereas cells from female IA ethanol mice were not different from their controls. Together, these findings illustrate that acute ethanol enhances VIP-IN excitability and suggest these cells undergo pronounced homeostatic changes following long-term drinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carly B Fabian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anthony S Ferranti
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ma J, Xiong F, Li Z, Dong G, Sun X, Yin W, Cai H. The effect of chronic alcohol exposure on spatial memory and BDNF-TrkB- PLCγ1 signaling in the hippocampus of male and female mice. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16660. [PMID: 37303582 PMCID: PMC10248118 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16660] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol is a commonly used drug worldwide, and abuse of alcohol has become a serious public health problem. Alcohol consumption over time can cause cognitive deficits and memory impairment, which is thought to be associated with changes in the hippocampus. Given previously known effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in regulating synaptic plasticity and learning and memory, we investigated the effect of chronic alcohol consumption on spatial memory impairment in both sexes and changes in BDNF signaling in the hippocampus. After 4 weeks of intermittent access to 20% alcohol, memory impairment in both male and female mice was evaluated using the Morris water maze and the expression of BDNF, TrkB, phosphorylation of PLCγ1 (p-PLCγ1) and PLCγ1 in the hippocampus was examined using Western blot. As expected, females spent longer escape latencies during the training phase, and both sexes spent shorter time in the target quadrant. Furthermore, after 4 weeks 20% alcohol exposure, we found significantly decreased expression levels of BDNF in the hippocampus of female mice but increased levels in male mice. TrkB and PLCγ1 expression showed no significant change in the hippocampus of both sexes. These findings suggest that chronic alcohol exposure may induce spatial memory impairment in both sexes and opposite changes in expression of BDNF and p-PLCγ1 in the hippocampus of males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hongxing Cai
- Corresponding author. .Department of Forensic Science, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sicher AR, Starnes WD, Griffith KR, Dao NC, Smith GC, Brockway DF, Crowley NA. Adolescent binge drinking leads to long-lasting changes in cortical microcircuits in mice. Neuropharmacology 2023; 234:109561. [PMID: 37137354 PMCID: PMC10386078 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent drug consumption has increased risks to the individual compared to consumption in adulthood, due to the likelihood of long-term and permanent behavioral and neurological adaptations. However, little is known about how adolescent alcohol consumption influences the maturation and trajectory of cortical circuit development. Here, we explore the consequences of adolescent binge drinking on somatostatin (SST) neuronal function in superficial layers of the prelimbic (PL) cortex in male and female SST-Ai9 mice. We find that adolescent drinking-in-the-dark (DID) produces sex-dependent increases in intrinsic excitability of SST neurons, with no change in overall SST cell number, persisting well into adulthood. While we did not find evidence of altered GABA release from SST neurons onto other neurons within the circuit, we found a complementary reduction in layer II/III pyramidal neuron excitability immediately after binge drinking; however, this hypoexcitability rebounded towards increased pyramidal neuron activity in adulthood in females, suggesting long-term homeostatic adaptations in this circuit. Together, this suggests that binge drinking during key developmental timepoints leads to permanent changes in PL microcircuitry function, which may have broad behavioral implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avery R Sicher
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - William D Starnes
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Keith R Griffith
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nigel C Dao
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Grace C Smith
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Dakota F Brockway
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nicole A Crowley
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Varodayan FP, Pahng AR, Davis TD, Gandhi P, Bajo M, Steinman MQ, Kiosses WB, Blednov YA, Burkart MD, Edwards S, Roberts AJ, Roberto M. Chronic ethanol induces a pro-inflammatory switch in interleukin-1β regulation of GABAergic signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:125-139. [PMID: 36863493 PMCID: PMC10106421 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimmune pathways regulate brain function to influence complex behavior and play a role in several neuropsychiatric diseases, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). In particular, the interleukin-1 (IL-1) system has emerged as a key regulator of the brain's response to ethanol (alcohol). Here we investigated the mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced neuroadaptation of IL-1β signaling at GABAergic synapses in the prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an area responsible for integrating contextual information to mediate conflicting motivational drives. We exposed C57BL/6J male mice to the chronic intermittent ethanol vapor-2 bottle choice paradigm (CIE-2BC) to induce ethanol dependence, and conducted ex vivo electrophysiology and molecular analyses. We found that the IL-1 system regulates basal mPFC function through its actions at inhibitory synapses on prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. IL-1β can selectively recruit either neuroprotective (PI3K/Akt) or pro-inflammatory (MyD88/p38 MAPK) mechanisms to produce opposing synaptic effects. In ethanol naïve conditions, there was a strong PI3K/Akt bias leading to a disinhibition of pyramidal neurons. Ethanol dependence produced opposite IL-1 effects - enhanced local inhibition via a switch in IL-1β signaling to the canonical pro-inflammatory MyD88 pathway. Ethanol dependence also increased cellular IL-1β in the mPFC, while decreasing expression of downstream effectors (Akt, p38 MAPK). Thus, IL-1β may represent a key neural substrate in ethanol-induced cortical dysfunction. As the IL-1 receptor antagonist (kineret) is already FDA-approved for other diseases, this work underscores the high therapeutic potential of IL-1 signaling/neuroimmune-based treatments for AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F P Varodayan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center and Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - A R Pahng
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - T D Davis
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - P Gandhi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Q Steinman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - W B Kiosses
- Microscopy Core Imaging Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Y A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - M D Burkart
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - S Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - A J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Thompson SM, Ferranti AS, Joffe ME. Acute alcohol and chronic drinking bidirectionally regulate the excitability of prefrontal cortex vasoactive intestinal peptide interneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531614. [PMID: 36945582 PMCID: PMC10028880 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulates drinking behaviors and affective changes following chronic alcohol use. PFC activity is dynamically modulated by local inhibitory interneurons (INs), which can be divided into non-overlapping groups with distinct functional roles. Within deeper layers of neocortex, INs that express either parvalbumin or somatostatin directly inhibit pyramidal cells. By contrast, the plurality of all remaining INs express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), reside within superficial layers, and preferentially target other types of INs. While recent studies have described adaptations to PFC parvalbumin-INs and somatostatin-INs in alcohol use models, whether ethanol or drinking affect the physiology of PFC VIP-INs has not been reported. To address this gap, we used genetically engineered female and male mice to target VIP-INs in layers 1-3 of prelimbic PFC for whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. We found that ethanol (20 mM, ∼0.09 BEC) application to PFC brain slices enhances VIP-IN excitability. We next examined effects following chronic drinking by providing mice with 4 weeks of intermittent access (IA) ethanol two-bottle choice in the home cage. In these studies, VIP-INs from female and male IA ethanol mice displayed reduced excitability relative to cells from water-only controls. Finally, we assessed whether these effects continue into abstinence. After 7-11 days without ethanol, the hypo-excitability of VIP-INs from male IA ethanol mice persisted, whereas cells from female IA ethanol mice were not different from their controls. Together, these findings illustrate that acute ethanol enhances VIP-IN excitability and suggest these cells undergo pronounced homeostatic changes following long-term drinking.
Collapse
|
11
|
Luessen DJ, Gallinger IM, Ferranti AS, Foster DJ, Melancon BJ, Lindsley CW, Niswender CM, Conn PJ. mGlu 1-mediated restoration of prefrontal cortex inhibitory signaling reverses social and cognitive deficits in an NMDA hypofunction model in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1826-1835. [PMID: 35643819 PMCID: PMC9372079 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01350-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Extensive evidence supports the hypothesis that deficits in inhibitory GABA transmission in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may drive pathophysiological changes underlying symptoms of schizophrenia that are not currently treated by available medications, including cognitive and social impairments. Recently, the mGlu1 subtype of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor has been implicated as a novel target to restore GABAergic transmission in the PFC. A recent study reported that activation of mGlu1 increases inhibitory transmission in the PFC through excitation of somatostatin-expressing GABAergic interneurons, implicating mGlu1 PAMs as a potential treatment strategy for schizophrenia. Here, we leveraged positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of mGlu1 to examine whether mGlu1 activation might reverse physiological effects and behavioral deficits induced by MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist commonly used to model cortical deficits observed in schizophrenia patients. Using ex vivo whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that MK-801 decreased the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents onto layer V pyramidal cells of the PFC and this cortical disinhibition was reversed by mGlu1 activation. Furthermore, acute MK-801 treatment selectively induced inhibitory deficits onto layer V pyramidal cells that project to the basolateral amygdala, but not to the nucleus accumbens, and these deficits were restored by selective mGlu1 activation. Importantly, the mGlu1 PAM VU6004909 effectively reversed deficits in sociability and social novelty preference in a three-chamber assay and improved novel objection recognition following MK-801 treatment. Together, these findings provide compelling evidence that mGlu1 PAMs could serve as a novel approach to reduce social and cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia by enhancing inhibitory transmission in the PFC, thus providing an exciting improvement over current antipsychotic medication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah J Luessen
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| | - Isabel M Gallinger
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Anthony S Ferranti
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Daniel J Foster
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Bruce J Melancon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Tyler RE, Besheer J, Joffe ME. Advances in translating mGlu 2 and mGlu 3 receptor selective allosteric modulators as breakthrough treatments for affective disorders and alcohol use disorder. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 219:173450. [PMID: 35988792 PMCID: PMC10405528 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173450] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are promising targets for the treatment of affective disorders and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Nonspecific ligands for Group II (mGlu2 and mGlu3) mGlu receptors have demonstrated consistent therapeutic potential for affective disorders in preclinical models. Disentangling the specific roles of mGlu2 versus mGlu3 receptors in these effects has persisted as a major challenge, in part due to pharmacological limitations. However, the recent development of highly specific allosteric modulators for both mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors have enabled straightforward and rigorous investigations into the specific function of each receptor. Here, we review recent experiments using these compounds that have demonstrated both similar and distinct receptor functions in behavioral, molecular, and electrophysiological measures associated with basal function and preclinical models of affective disorders. Studies using these selective drugs have demonstrated that mGlu2 is the predominant receptor subclass involved in presynaptic neurotransmitter release in prefrontal cortex. By contrast, the activation of postsynaptic mGlu3 receptors induces a cascade of cellular changes that results in AMPA receptor internalization, producing long-term depression and diminishing excitatory drive. Acute stress decreases the mGlu3 receptor function and dynamically alters transcript expression for both mGlu2 (Grm2) and mGlu3 (Grm3) receptors in brain areas involved in reward and stress. Accordingly, both mGlu2 and mGlu3 negative allosteric modulators show acute antidepressant-like effects and potential prophylactic effects against acute and traumatic stressors. The wide array of effects displayed by these new allosteric modulators of mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors suggest that these drugs may act through improving endophenotypes of symptoms observed across several neuropsychiatric disorders. Therefore, recently developed allosteric modulators selective for mGlu2 or mGlu3 receptors show promise as potential therapeutics for affective disorders and AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan E Tyler
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Fish KN, Joffe ME. Targeting prefrontal cortex GABAergic microcircuits for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:936911. [PMID: 36105666 PMCID: PMC9465392 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.936911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing novel treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is of paramount importance for improving patient outcomes and alleviating the suffering related to the disease. A better understanding of the molecular and neurocircuit mechanisms through which alcohol alters brain function will be instrumental in the rational development of new efficacious treatments. Clinical studies have consistently associated the prefrontal cortex (PFC) function with symptoms of AUDs. Population-level analyses have linked the PFC structure and function with heavy drinking and/or AUD diagnosis. Thus, targeting specific PFC cell types and neural circuits holds promise for the development of new treatments. Here, we overview the tremendous diversity in the form and function of inhibitory neuron subtypes within PFC and describe their therapeutic potential. We then summarize AUD population genetics studies, clinical neurophysiology findings, and translational neuroscience discoveries. This study collectively suggests that changes in fast transmission through PFC inhibitory microcircuits are a central component of the neurobiological effects of ethanol and the core symptoms of AUDs. Finally, we submit that there is a significant and timely need to examine sex as a biological variable and human postmortem brain tissue to maximize the efforts in translating findings to new clinical treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Max E. Joffe
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ferranti AS, Johnson KA, Winder DG, Conn PJ, Joffe ME. Prefrontal cortex parvalbumin interneurons exhibit decreased excitability and potentiated synaptic strength after ethanol reward learning. Alcohol 2022; 101:17-26. [PMID: 35227826 PMCID: PMC9117490 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is intimately associated with behavioral characteristics of alcohol use disorders, including high motivation to drink and difficulty with moderation. Thus, continued mechanistic research investigating PFC cells and targets altered by ethanol experiences should inform translational efforts to craft new, efficacious treatments. Inhibitory interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV-INs) comprise only a minor fraction of cells within the PFC, yet these cells are indispensable for coordinating PFC ensemble function, oscillatory activity, and subcortical output. Based on this, PV-INs represent an exciting target for the rational design of breakthrough treatments for alcohol use disorders. Here, we assessed experience-dependent physiological adaptations via ethanol place conditioning. By manipulating the timing of administration relative to conditioning sessions, equivalent ethanol exposure can form either rewarding or aversive memories in different individuals. Here, we found that female mice and male mice on a C57BL/6J background display conditioned place preference (CPP) or aversion (CPA) to an intoxicating dose of ethanol (2 g/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) without overt differences between sexes. Ethanol reward learning was associated with decreased PV-IN excitability in deep layer prelimbic PFC, whereas PV-INs from CPA mice were not different from controls. Furthermore, PV-INs from mice in the CPP group, but not the CPA group, displayed potentiated excitatory synaptic strength that emerged during 1 week of abstinence. Taken together, these findings illustrate that synaptic and intrinsic adaptations associated with ethanol can depend on an individual's experience. These studies provide further context and support for PFC PV-INs as intriguing targets for modulating alcohol associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kari A. Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - P. Jeffrey Conn
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN
| | - Max E. Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Nair MS, Dao NC, Melean DL, Griffith KR, Starnes WD, Moyer JB, Sicher AR, Brockway DF, Meeks KD, Crowley NA. Somatostatin Neurons in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Play a Sex-Dependent Role in Binge Drinking. Brain Res Bull 2022; 186:38-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
16
|
Bloch S, Holleran KM, Kash TL, Vazey EM, Rinker JA, Lebonville CL, O'Hara K, Lopez MF, Jones SR, Grant KA, Becker HC, Mulholland PJ. Assessing negative affect in mice during abstinence from alcohol drinking: Limitations and future challenges. Alcohol 2022; 100:41-56. [PMID: 35181404 PMCID: PMC8983487 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is frequently comorbid with mood disorders, and these co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorders contribute to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence and relapse. In preclinical models, mice chronically exposed to alcohol display anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. However, in total, results from studies using voluntary alcohol-drinking paradigms show variable behavioral outcomes in assays measuring negative affective behaviors. Thus, the main objective of this review is to summarize the literature on the variability of negative affective behaviors in mice after chronic alcohol exposure. We compare the behavioral phenotypes that emerge during abstinence across different exposure models, including models of alcohol and stress interactions. The complicated outcomes from these studies highlight the difficulties of assessing negative affective behaviors in mouse models designed for the study of AUD. We discuss new behavioral assays, comprehensive platforms, and unbiased machine-learning algorithms as promising approaches to better understand the interaction between alcohol and negative affect in mice. New data-driven approaches in the understanding of mouse behavior hold promise for improving the identification of mechanisms, cell subtypes, and neurocircuits that mediate negative affect. In turn, improving our understanding of the neurobehavioral basis of alcohol-associated negative affect will provide a platform to test hypotheses in mouse models that aim to improve the development of more effective strategies for treating individuals with AUD and co-occurring mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Solal Bloch
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Christina L Lebonville
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Krysten O'Hara
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, United States
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cummings K, Maguire J. Interneurons direct circuit-specific flow of information to communicate stressful experiences. Neuron 2022; 110:911-913. [PMID: 35298916 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex coordinates experience-dependent alterations in behavioral states. In this issue of Neuron, Joffe et al. provide a novel mechanism mediating acute stress-induced biasing of information routing through the mPFC, involving mGlu5-mediated plasticity on SST interneurons and feedforward inhibition shaping input into the mPFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Joffe ME, Maksymetz J, Luschinger JR, Dogra S, Ferranti AS, Luessen DJ, Gallinger IM, Xiang Z, Branthwaite H, Melugin PR, Williford KM, Centanni SW, Shields BC, Lindsley CW, Calipari ES, Siciliano CA, Niswender CM, Tadross MR, Winder DG, Conn PJ. Acute restraint stress redirects prefrontal cortex circuit function through mGlu 5 receptor plasticity on somatostatin-expressing interneurons. Neuron 2022; 110:1068-1083.e5. [PMID: 35045338 PMCID: PMC8930582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons orchestrate prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity, but we have a limited understanding of the molecular and experience-dependent mechanisms that regulate synaptic plasticity across PFC microcircuits. We discovered that mGlu5 receptor activation facilitates long-term potentiation at synapses from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) onto somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs) in mice. This plasticity appeared to be recruited during acute restraint stress, which induced intracellular calcium mobilization within SST-INs and rapidly potentiated postsynaptic strength onto SST-INs. Restraint stress and mGlu5 receptor activation each augmented BLA recruitment of SST-IN phasic feedforward inhibition, shunting information from other excitatory inputs, including the mediodorsal thalamus. Finally, studies using cell-type-specific mGlu5 receptor knockout mice revealed that mGlu5 receptor function in SST-expressing cells is necessary for restraint stress-induced changes to PFC physiology and related behaviors. These findings provide new insights into interneuron-specific synaptic plasticity mechanisms and suggest that SST-IN microcircuits may be promising targets for treating stress-induced psychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - James Maksymetz
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Joseph R Luschinger
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shalini Dogra
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anthony S Ferranti
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Deborah J Luessen
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Isabel M Gallinger
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zixiu Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hannah Branthwaite
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Patrick R Melugin
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kellie M Williford
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Samuel W Centanni
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brenda C Shields
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael R Tadross
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lawson K, Scarlata M, Cho C, Mangan C, Petersen D, Thompson H, Ehnstrom S, Mousley A, Bezek J, Bergstrom H. Adolescence alcohol exposure impairs fear extinction and alters medial prefrontal cortex plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2022; 211:109048. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
20
|
Developing breakthrough psychiatric treatments by modulating G protein-coupled receptors on prefrontal cortex somatostatin interneurons. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:389-390. [PMID: 34341496 PMCID: PMC8617253 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01119-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
|
21
|
Maksymetz J, Byun NE, Luessen DJ, Li B, Barry RL, Gore JC, Niswender CM, Lindsley CW, Joffe ME, Conn PJ. mGlu 1 potentiation enhances prelimbic somatostatin interneuron activity to rescue schizophrenia-like physiological and cognitive deficits. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109950. [PMID: 34731619 PMCID: PMC8628371 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence for prefrontal cortical (PFC) GABAergic dysfunction is one of the most consistent findings in schizophrenia and may contribute to cognitive deficits. Recent studies suggest that the mGlu1 subtype of metabotropic glutamate receptor regulates cortical inhibition; however, understanding the mechanisms through which mGlu1 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) regulate PFC microcircuit function and cognition is essential for advancing these potential therapeutics toward the clinic. We report a series of electrophysiology, optogenetic, pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging, and animal behavior studies demonstrating that activation of mGlu1 receptors increases inhibitory transmission in the prelimbic PFC by selective excitation of somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs). An mGlu1 PAM reverses cortical hyperactivity and concomitant cognitive deficits induced by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. Using in vivo optogenetics, we show that prelimbic SST-INs are necessary for mGlu1 PAM efficacy. Collectively, these findings suggest that mGlu1 PAMs could reverse cortical GABAergic deficits and exhibit efficacy in treating cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Maksymetz
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Nellie E Byun
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Deborah J Luessen
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brianna Li
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Robert L Barry
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Frontal cortex genetic ablation of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 3 (mGlu 3) impairs postsynaptic plasticity and modulates affective behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2148-2157. [PMID: 34035469 PMCID: PMC8505649 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and translational studies suggest that prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysregulation is a hallmark feature of several affective disorders. Thus, investigating the mechanisms involved in the regulation of PFC function and synaptic plasticity could aid in developing new medications. In recent years, the mGlu2 and mGlu3 subtypes of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors have emerged as exciting potential targets for the treatment of affective disorders, as mGlu2/3 antagonists exert antidepressant-like effects across many rodent models. Several recent studies suggest that presynaptic mGlu2 receptors may contribute to these effects by regulating excitatory transmission at synapses from the thalamus to the PFC. Interestingly, we found that mGlu3 receptors also inhibit excitatory drive to the PFC but act by inducing long-term depression (LTD) at amygdala-PFC synapses. It remains unclear, however, whether blockade of presynaptic, postsynaptic, or glial mGlu3 receptors contribute to long-term effects on PFC circuit function and antidepressant-like effects of mGlu2/3 antagonists. To address these outstanding questions, we leveraged transgenic Grm3fl/fl mice and viral-mediated gene transfer to genetically ablate mGlu3 receptors from pyramidal cells in the frontal cortex of adult mice of all sexes. Consistent with a role for mGlu3 in PFC pyramidal cells, mGlu3-dependent amygdala-cortical LTD was eliminated following mGlu3 receptor knockdown. Furthermore, knockdown mice displayed a modest, task-specific anxiolytic phenotype and decreased passive coping behaviors. These studies reveal that postsynaptic mGlu3 receptors are critical for mGlu3-dependent LTD and provide convergent genetic evidence suggesting that modulating cortical mGlu3 receptors may provide a promising new approach for the treatment of mood disorders.
Collapse
|
23
|
Dao NC, Brockway DF, Suresh Nair M, Sicher AR, Crowley NA. Somatostatin neurons control an alcohol binge drinking prelimbic microcircuit in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1906-1917. [PMID: 34112959 PMCID: PMC8429551 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01050-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Somatostatin (SST) neurons have been implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but their role in substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD), is not fully characterized. Here, we found that repeated cycles of alcohol binge drinking via the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) model led to hypoactivity of SST neurons in the prelimbic (PL) cortex by diminishing their action potential firing capacity and excitatory/inhibitory transmission dynamic. We examined their role in regulating alcohol consumption via bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation. Both hM3Dq-induced excitation and KORD-induced silencing of PL SST neurons reduced alcohol binge drinking in males and females, with no effect on sucrose consumption. Alcohol binge drinking disinhibited pyramidal neurons by augmenting SST neurons-mediated GABA release and synaptic strength onto other GABAergic populations and reducing spontaneous inhibitory transmission onto pyramidal neurons. Pyramidal neurons additionally displayed increased intrinsic excitability. Direct inhibition of PL pyramidal neurons via hM4Di was sufficient to reduce alcohol binge drinking. Together these data revealed an SST-mediated microcircuit in the PL that modulates the inhibitory dynamics of pyramidal neurons, a major source of output to subcortical targets to drive reward-seeking behaviors and emotional response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel C Dao
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Dakota F Brockway
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Malini Suresh Nair
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Avery R Sicher
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nicole A Crowley
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sex- and subtype-specific adaptations in excitatory signaling onto deep-layer prelimbic cortical pyramidal neurons after chronic alcohol exposure. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1927-1936. [PMID: 34035471 PMCID: PMC8429546 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01034-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Long-term alcohol use results in behavioral deficits including impaired working memory, elevated anxiety, and blunted inhibitory control that is associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) dysfunction. Preclinical observations demonstrate multiple impairments in GABAergic neurotransmission onto deep-layer principal cells (PCs) in the prelimbic cortex that suggest dependence-related cortical dysfunction is the product of elevated excitability in these cells. Despite accumulating evidence showing alcohol-induced changes in interneuron signaling onto PCs differ between sexes, there is limited data explicitly evaluating sex-specific ethanol effects on excitatory signaling onto deep-layer PCs that may further contribute to deficits in PFC-dependent behaviors. To address this, we conducted electrophysiological and behavioral tests in both male and female Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the effects of chronic ethanol exposure. Among our observations, we report a marked enhancement in glutamatergic signaling onto deep-layer PCs in male, but not female, rats after alcohol exposure. This phenomenon was furthermore specific to a sub-class of PC, sub-cortically projecting Type-A cells, and coincided with enhanced anxiety-like behavior, but no observable deficit in working memory. In contrast, female rats displayed alcohol-induced facilitation in working memory performance with no change in expression of anxiety-like behavior. Together, these results suggest fundamental differences in alcohol effects on cell activity, cortical sub-circuits, and PFC-dependent behaviors across male and female rats.
Collapse
|
25
|
Sex Differences in the Brain Transcriptome Related to Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 91:43-52. [PMID: 34274109 PMCID: PMC8558111 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is compelling evidence that sex and gender have crucial roles in excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption. Here, we review some of the data from the perspective of brain transcriptional differences between males and females, focusing on rodent animal models. A key emerging transcriptional feature is the role of neuroimmune processes. Microglia are the resident neuroimmune cells in the brain and exhibit substantial functional differences between males and females. Selective breeding for binge ethanol consumption and the impacts of chronic ethanol consumption and withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure all demonstrate sex-dependent neuroimmune signatures. A focus is on resolving sex-dependent differences in transcriptional responses to ethanol at the neurocircuitry level. Sex-dependent transcriptional differences are found in the extended amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. Telescoping of ethanol consumption is found in some, but not all, studies to be more prevalent in females. Recent transcriptional studies suggest that some sex differences may be due to female-dependent remodeling of the primary cilium. An interesting theme appears to be developing: at least from the animal model perspective, even when males and females are phenotypically similar, they differ significantly at the level of the transcriptome.
Collapse
|
26
|
Bach EC, Morgan JW, Ewin SE, Barth SH, Raab-Graham KF, Weiner JL. Chronic Ethanol Exposures Leads to a Negative Affective State in Female Rats That Is Accompanied by a Paradoxical Decrease in Ventral Hippocampus Excitability. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:669075. [PMID: 33994940 PMCID: PMC8119765 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.669075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) differentially impacts men and women and a growing body of evidence points to sex-dependent adaptations in a number of brain regions. In a prior study, we explored the effect of a chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) model of AUD on neuronal and molecular adaptations in the dorsal and ventral domains of the hippocampus (dHC and vHC, respectively) in male rats. We found the vHC to be particularly sensitive to CIE, showing an increase in neuronal excitability and synaptic proteins associated with augmented excitation. These findings were accompanied by a CIE-dependent increase in anxiety-like behaviors. To explore sex-dependent adaptations in the hippocampus, we conducted a similar study in female rats. CIE-treated female rats showed a relatively modest increase in anxiety-like behaviors along with a robust increase in depressive-like measures. Despite both sexes showing clear evidence of a negative affective state following CIE, the vHC of females showed a decrease, rather than an increase, in neuronal excitability. In line with the reduced sensitivity to neural adaptations in the dHC of male rats, we were unable to identify any functional changes in the dHC of females. The functional changes of the vHC in female rats could not be explained by altered expression levels of a number of proteins typically associated with changes in neuronal excitability. Taken together, these findings point to sex as a major factor in CIE-dependent hippocampal adaptations that should be explored further to better understand possible gender differences in the etiology and treatment of AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Bach
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - James W Morgan
- Department of Anesthesia, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Sarah E Ewin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Samuel H Barth
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Kimberly F Raab-Graham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jeffrey L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Li M, Cabrera-Garcia D, Salling MC, Au E, Yang G, Harrison NL. Alcohol reduces the activity of somatostatin interneurons in the mouse prefrontal cortex: A neural basis for its disinhibitory effect? Neuropharmacology 2021; 188:108501. [PMID: 33636191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in executive ("top-down") control of behavior and its function is especially susceptible to the effects of alcohol, leading to behavioral disinhibition that is associated with alterations in decision making, response inhibition, social anxiety and working memory. The circuitry of the PFC involves a complex interplay between pyramidal neurons (PNs) and several subclasses of inhibitory interneurons (INs), including somatostatin (SST)-expressing INs. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we showed that alcohol dose-dependently altered network activity in layers 2/3 of the prelimbic subregion of the mouse PFC. Low doses of alcohol (1 g/kg, intraperitoneal, i.p.) caused moderate activation of SST INs and weak inhibition of PNs. At moderate to high doses, alcohol (2-3 g/kg) strongly inhibited the activity of SST INs in vivo, and this effect may result in disinhibition, as the activity of a subpopulation of PNs was simultaneously enhanced. In contrast, recordings in brain slices using ex vivo electrophysiology revealed no direct effect of alcohol on the excitability of either SST INs or PNs over a range of concentrations (20 and 50 mM) consistent with the blood alcohol levels reached in the in vivo experiments. This dose-dependent effect of alcohol on SST INs in vivo may reveal a neural basis for the disinhibitory effect of alcohol in the PFC mediated by other neurons within or external to the PFC circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Columbia University, Department of Anesthesiology, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - David Cabrera-Garcia
- Columbia University, Department of Anesthesiology, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Michael C Salling
- Louisiana State University, Department of Anatomy, New Orleans, LA, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Edmund Au
- Columbia University, Department of Pathology & Cell Biology and Rehabilitative Medicine and Regeneration, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative Scholar, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Guang Yang
- Columbia University, Department of Anesthesiology, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Neil L Harrison
- Columbia University, Department of Anesthesiology, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Columbia University, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Joffe ME, Winder DG, Conn PJ. Increased Synaptic Strength and mGlu 2/3 Receptor Plasticity on Mouse Prefrontal Cortex Intratelencephalic Pyramidal Cells Following Intermittent Access to Ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:518-529. [PMID: 33434325 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for regulating craving and alcohol seeking in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients and alcohol seeking in animal models. Maladaptive changes in volitional ethanol (EtOH) intake have been associated with PFC function, yet synaptic adaptations within PFC have not been consistently detected in voluntary drinking rodent models. At least 80% of the neurons in PFC are glutamatergic pyramidal cells. Pyramidal cells provide the predominant cortical output to several brain regions relevant to AUD, including structures within the telencephalon (IT: e.g., basal ganglia, amygdala, other neocortical regions) and outside the telencephalon (ET: e.g., lateral hypothalamus, midbrain monoaminergic structures, thalamus). METHODS In addition to their anatomical distinctions, studies from several laboratories have revealed that prefrontal cortical IT and ET pyramidal cells may be differentiated by specific electrophysiological parameters. These distinguishable parameters make it possible to readily classify pyramidal cells into separable subtypes. Here, we employed and validated the hyperpolarization sag ratio as a diagnostic proxy for separating ET (type A) and IT (type B) neurons. We recorded from deep-layer prelimbic PFC pyramidal cells of mice 1 day after 4 to 5 weeks of intermittent access (IA) EtOH exposure. RESULTS Membrane properties were not altered by IA EtOH, but excitatory postsynaptic strength onto IT type B neurons was selectively enhanced in slices from IA EtOH mice. The increased excitatory drive was accompanied by enhanced mGlu2/3 receptor plasticity on IT type B neurons, providing a potential translational approach to mitigate cognitive and motivational changes to PFC function related to binge drinking. CONCLUSIONS Together, these studies provide insight into the specific PFC neurocircuits altered by voluntary drinking. In addition, the findings provide an additional rationale for developing compounds that potentiate mGlu2 and/or mGlu3 receptor function as potential treatments for AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Salling MC, Harrison NL. Constitutive Genetic Deletion of Hcn1 Increases Alcohol Preference during Adolescence. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110763. [PMID: 33105624 PMCID: PMC7690419 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN), which underlies the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih), has diverse roles in regulating neuronal excitability across cell types and brain regions. Recently, HCN channels have been implicated in preclinical models of substance abuse including alcohol. In the prefrontal cortex of rodents, HCN expression and Ih magnitude are developmentally regulated during adolescence and may be vulnerable to alcohol’s effects. In mice, binge alcohol consumption during the adolescent period results in a sustained reduction in Ih that coincides with increased alcohol consumption in adulthood, yet the direct role HCN channels have on alcohol consumption are unknown. Here, we show that the genetic deletion of Hcn1 causes an increase in alcohol preference on intermittent 2-bottle choice task in homozygous null (HCN1−/−) male mice compared to wild-type littermates without affecting saccharine or quinine preference. The targeted viral deletion of HCN1 in pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex resulted in a gradual loss of Hcn1 expression and a reduction in Ih magnitude during adolescence, however, this did not significantly affect alcohol consumption or preference. We conclude that while HCN1 regulates alcohol preference, the genetic deletion of Hcn1 in the medial prefrontal cortex does not appear to be the locus for this effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Salling
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Neil L. Harrison
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| |
Collapse
|