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Kipp BT, Lisa MS. Modulation of the p75NTR during adolescent alcohol exposure prevents cholinergic neuronal atrophy and associated acetylcholine activity and behavioral dysfunction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.03.587970. [PMID: 38617368 PMCID: PMC11014512 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.587970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Binge alcohol consumption during adolescence produces lasting deficits in learning and memory, while also increasing the susceptibility to substance use disorders. The adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) rodent model mimics human adolescent binge drinking and has identified the Nucleus Basalis Magnocellularis (NbM) as a key site of pathology. The NbM is a critical regulator of prefrontal cortical (PFC) cholinergic function and attention. The cholinergic phenotype is controlled pro/mature neurotrophin receptor activation. We sought to determine if p75NTR activity contributes to the loss of cholinergic phenotype in AIE by using a p75NTR modulator (LM11A-31) to inhibit prodegenerative signaling during ethanol exposure. Male and female rats underwent 5g/kg ethanol (AIE) or water (CON) exposure following 2-day-on 2-day-off cycles from PND 25-57. A subset of these groups also received a protective dose of LM11A-31 (50mg/kg) during adolescence. Rats were trained on a sustained attention task (SAT) while recording activity with a fluorescent acetylcholine indicator (AChGRAB 3.0). AIE produced learning deficits on the SAT, which were spared with LM11A-31. In addition, mPFC ACh activity was blunted by AIE, which LM11A-31 corrected. Investigation of NbM ChAT+ and TrkA+ neuronal expression found that AIE led to a reduction of ChAT+TrkA+ neurons, which again LM11A-31 protected. Taken together these findings demonstrate the p75NTR activity during AIE treatment is a key regulator of cholinergic degeneration.
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Sanz-Martos AB, Fuentes-Verdugo E, Merino B, Morales L, Pérez V, Capellán R, Pellón R, Miguéns M, Del Olmo N. Schedule-induced alcohol intake during adolescence sex dependently impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial memory. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114576. [PMID: 37423317 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In a previous study, we demonstrated that intermittent ethanol administration in male adolescent animals impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial memory, particularly under conditions of excessive ethanol administration. In this current study, we subjected adolescent male and female Wistar rats an alcohol schedule-induced drinking (SID) procedure to obtain an elevated rate of alcohol self-administration and assessed their hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. We also studied hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as the expression levels of several genes involved in these mechanisms. Both male and female rats exhibited similar drinking patterns throughout the sessions of the SID protocol reaching similar blood alcohol levels in all the groups. However, only male rats that consumed alcohol showed spatial memory deficits which correlated with inhibition of hippocampal synaptic plasticity as long-term potentiation. In contrast, alcohol did not modify hippocampal gene expression of AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptor subunits, although there are differences in the expression levels of several genes relevant to synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes, related to alcohol consumption as Ephb2, sex differences as Pi3k or the interaction of both factors such as Pten. In conclusion, elevated alcohol intake during adolescence seems to have a negative impact on spatial memory and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a sex dependent manner, even both sexes exhibit similar blood alcohol concentrations and drinking patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Belén Sanz-Martos
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esmeralda Fuentes-Verdugo
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Merino
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, School of Pharmacy, San Pablo-CEU University, Urb. Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Morales
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, School of Pharmacy, San Pablo-CEU University, Urb. Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Pellón
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Miguéns
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Del Olmo
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Marsland P, Trapp S, Vore A, Lutzke A, Varlinskaya EI, Deak T. Intermittent Exposure to a Single Bottle of Ethanol Modulates Stress Sensitivity: Impact of Age at Exposure Initiation. Cells 2023; 12:1991. [PMID: 37566070 PMCID: PMC10417636 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use during adolescence is a serious public health problem, with binge drinking and high-intensity drinking being particularly harmful to the developing adolescent brain. To investigate the adverse consequences of binge drinking and high-intensity adolescent drinking, adolescent rodents were intermittently exposed to ethanol through intragastric gavage, intraperitoneal injection, or vapor inhalation. These models revealed the long-lasting behavioral and neural consequences of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure. The present study was designed to characterize a different AIE model, namely, intermittent exposure to a single bottle of 10% ethanol as the only source of fluids on a 2 days on/2 days off (water days) schedule, and to determine whether this AIE exposure model would produce changes in hormonal and neuroimmune responsiveness to challenges of differing modalities. Assessments of ethanol intake as well as blood and brain ethanol concentrations (BECs and BrECs, respectively) in adult male and female rats (Experiment 1) revealed that BECs and BrECs peaked following access to ethanol for a 2 h period when assessed 1 h into the dark cycle. Experiment 2 revealed age differences in ethanol intake, BECs, and BrECs following a 2 h access to ethanol (1 h into the dark cycle), with adolescents ingesting more ethanol and reaching higher BECs as well as BrECs than adults. In Experiment 3, intermittent exposure to a single bottle of 10% ethanol for 10 cycles of 2 days on/2 days off was initiated either in early or late adolescence, followed by an acute systemic immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adulthood. LPS increased corticosterone and progesterone levels regardless of sex and prior ethanol history, whereas an LPS-induced increase in cytokine gene expression in the hippocampus was evident only in ethanol-exposed males and females, with females who underwent early exposure to ethanol being more affected than their later-exposed counterparts. In Experiment 4, intermittent ethanol exposure in females was initiated either in adolescence or adulthood and lasted for 12 ethanol exposure cycles. Then, behavioral (freezing behavior), hormonal (corticosterone and progesterone levels), and neuroimmune (cytokine gene expression in the PVN, amygdala, and hippocampus) responses to novel environments (mild stressors) and shock (intense stressors) were assessed. More pronounced behavioral and hormonal changes, as well as changes in cytokine gene expression, were evident in the shock condition than following placement in the novel environment, with prior history of ethanol exposure not playing a substantial role. Interleukin (IL)-1β gene expression was enhanced by shock in the PVN, whereas shock-induced increases in IL-6 gene expression were evident in the hippocampus. Together, these findings demonstrate that our intermittent adolescent exposure model enhances responsiveness to immune but not stress challenges, with females being more vulnerable to this AIE effect than males.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
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4
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Matthews DB, Scaletty S, Trapp S, Schreiber A, Rossmann G, Imhoff B, Petersilka Q, Kastner A, Pauly J, Nixon K. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during adolescence produces sex- and age-dependent changes in anxiety and cognition without changes in microglia reactivity late in life. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1223883. [PMID: 37589035 PMCID: PMC10427154 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1223883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence has been shown to produce long lasting effects in animal models including anxiety-like behavior that can last into young adulthood and impairments in cognition that can last throughout most of the lifespan. However, little research has investigated if binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence produces persistent anxiety-like behavior and concomitantly impairs cognition late in life. Furthermore, few studies have investigated such behavioral effects in both female and male rats over the lifespan. Finally, it is yet to be determined if binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence alters microglia activation in relevant brain regions late in life. In the present study female and male adolescent rats were exposed to either 3.0 or 5.0 g/kg ethanol, or water control, in a chronic intermittent pattern before being tested in the elevated plus maze and open field task over the next ∼18 months. Animals were then trained in a spatial reference task via the Morris water maze before having their behavioral flexibility tested. Finally, brains were removed, sectioned and presumptive microglia activation determined using autoradiography for [3H]PK11195 binding. Males, but not females, displayed an anxiety-like phenotype initially following the chronic intermittent ethanol exposure paradigm which resolved in adulthood. Further, males but not females had altered spatial reference learning and impaired behavioral flexibility late in life. Conversely, [3H]PK11195 binding was significantly elevated in females compared to males late in life and the level of microglia activation interacted as a function of sex and brain regions, but there was no long-term outcome related to adolescent alcohol exposure. These data further confirm that binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence produces alterations in behavior that can last throughout the lifespan. In addition, the data suggest that microglia activation late in life is not exacerbated by prior binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence but the expression is sex- and brain region-dependent across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B. Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Samantha Scaletty
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Sarah Trapp
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Areonna Schreiber
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Gillian Rossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Bailey Imhoff
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Quinn Petersilka
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Abigail Kastner
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Jim Pauly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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Gasparyan A, Maldonado Sanchez D, Navarrete F, Sion A, Navarro D, García-Gutiérrez MS, Rubio Valladolid G, Jurado Barba R, Manzanares J. Cognitive Alterations in Addictive Disorders: A Translational Approach. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1796. [PMID: 37509436 PMCID: PMC10376598 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The cognitive decline in people with substance use disorders is well known and can be found during both the dependence and drug abstinence phases. At the clinical level, cognitive decline impairs the response to addiction treatment and increases dropout rates. It can be irreversible, even after the end of drug abuse consumption. Improving our understanding of the molecular and cellular alterations associated with cognitive decline could be essential to developing specific therapeutic strategies for its treatment. Developing animal models to simulate drug abuse-induced learning and memory alterations is critical to continue exploring this clinical situation. The main aim of this review is to summarize the most recent evidence on cognitive impairment and the associated biological markers in patients addicted to some of the most consumed drugs of abuse and in animal models simulating this clinical situation. The available information suggests the need to develop more studies to further explore the molecular alterations associated with cognitive impairment, with the ultimate goal of developing new potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana Sion
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - María Salud García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Gabriel Rubio Valladolid
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Jurado Barba
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Health, Universidad Camilo José Cela, 28001 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
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6
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Liu M, Mu S, Han W, Tan X, Liu E, Hang Z, Zhu S, Yue Q, Sun J. Dopamine D1 receptor in orbitofrontal cortex to dorsal striatum pathway modulates methamphetamine addiction. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 671:96-104. [PMID: 37300946 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.06.005] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-dorsal striatum (DS) is an important neural circuit that contributes to addictive behavior, including compulsive reinforcement, yet the specific types of neurons that play a major role still need to be further elucidated. Here, we used a place conditioning paradigm to measure the conditioned responses to methamphetamine (MA). The results demonstrated that MA increases the expression of c-Fos, synaptic plasticity in OFC and DS. Patch-clamp recording showed that MA activated projection neurons from the OFC to the DS, and chemogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity in OFC-DS projection neurons affects conditioned place preference (CPP) scores. And the combined patch-electrochemical technique was used to detect the DA release in OFC, the data indicated that the DA release was increased in MA group. Additionally, SCH23390, a D1R antagonist, was used to verify the function of D1R projection neurons, showing that SCH23390 reversed MA addiction-like behavior. Collectively, these findings provide evidence for the D1R neuron is sufficient to regulate MA addiction in the OFC-DS pathway, and the study provides new insight into the underlying mechanism of pathological changes in MA addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shouhong Mu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weikai Han
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xu Tan
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - E Liu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhaofang Hang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shaowei Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qingwei Yue
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jinhao Sun
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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Tochon L, Vouimba RM, Corio M, Henkous N, Béracochéa D, Guillou JL, David V. Chronic alcohol consumption shifts learning strategies and synaptic plasticity from hippocampus to striatum-dependent pathways. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1129030. [PMID: 37304443 PMCID: PMC10250670 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1129030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The hippocampus and striatum have dissociable roles in memory and are necessary for spatial and procedural/cued learning, respectively. Emotionally charged, stressful events promote the use of striatal- over hippocampus-dependent learning through the activation of the amygdala. An emerging hypothesis suggests that chronic consumption of addictive drugs similarly disrupt spatial/declarative memory while facilitating striatum-dependent associative learning. This cognitive imbalance could contribute to maintain addictive behaviors and increase the risk of relapse. Methods We first examined, in C57BL/6 J male mice, whether chronic alcohol consumption (CAC) and alcohol withdrawal (AW) might modulate the respective use of spatial vs. single cue-based learning strategies, using a competition protocol in the Barnes maze task. We then performed in vivo electrophysiological studies in freely moving mice to assess learning-induced synaptic plasticity in both the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to dorsal hippocampus (dCA1) and BLA to dorsolateral striatum (DLS) pathways. Results We found that both CAC and early AW promote the use of cue-dependent learning strategies, and potentiate plasticity in the BLA → DLS pathway while reducing the use of spatial memory and depressing BLA → dCA1 neurotransmission. Discussion These results support the view that CAC disrupt normal hippocampo-striatal interactions, and suggest that targeting this cognitive imbalance through spatial/declarative task training could be of great help to maintain protracted abstinence in alcoholic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Tochon
- *Correspondence: Léa Tochon, ; Vincent David,
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Munier J, Shen S, Rahal D, Hanna A, Marty V, O'Neill P, Fanselow M, Spigelman I. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure disrupts stress-related tripartite communication to impact affect-related behavioral selection in male rats. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 24:100539. [PMID: 37131490 PMCID: PMC10149313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of intake control, increased anxiety, and susceptibility to relapse inducing stressors. Both astrocytes and neurons contribute to behavioral and hormonal consequences of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure in animal models. Details on how CIE disrupts hypothalamic neuro-glial communication, which mediates stress responses are lacking. We conducted a behavioral battery (grooming, open field, reactivity to a single, uncued foot-shock, intermittent-access two-bottle choice ethanol drinking) followed by Ca2+ imaging in ex-vivo slices of paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) from male rats exposed to CIE vapor or air-exposed controls. Ca2+ signals were evaluated in response to norepinephrine (NE) with or without selective α-adrenergic receptor (αAR) or GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists, followed by dexamethasone (DEX) to mock a pharmacological stress response. Expectedly, CIE rats had altered anxiety-like, rearing, grooming, and drinking behaviors. Importantly, NE-mediated reductions in Ca2+ event frequency were blunted in both CIE neurons and astrocytes. Administration of the selective α1AR antagonist, prazosin, reversed this CIE-induced dysfunction in both cell types. Additionally, the pharmacological stress protocol reversed the altered basal Ca2+ signaling profile of CIE astrocytes. Signaling changes in astrocytes in response to NE were correlated with anxiety-like behaviors, such as the grooming:rearing ratio, suggesting tripartite synaptic function plays a role in switching between exploratory and stress-coping behavior. These data show how CIE exposure causes persistent changes to PVN neuro-glial function and provides the groundwork for how these physiological changes manifest in behavioral selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.J. Munier
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - S. Shen
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, United States
| | - D. Rahal
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - A. Hanna
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, United States
| | - V.N. Marty
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, United States
| | - P.R. O'Neill
- Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States
| | - M.S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, College of Life Sciences, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States
| | - I. Spigelman
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, United States
- Corresponding author. Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems & Function, School of Dentistry, UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 63-078 CHS, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1668, United States.
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Cousijn J, Mies G, Runia N, Derksen M, Willuhn I, Lesscher H. The impact of age on olfactory alcohol cue-reactivity: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in adolescent and adult male drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2023; 47:668-677. [PMID: 36855285 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15037] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is marked not only by rapid surges in the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but also by remarkable recovery rates, as most adolescent-onset AUDs naturally resolve over time. Little is known about the differential vulnerability of adolescents and adults. Therefore, this study aimed to unravel the moderating role of age by comparing neural alcohol cue-reactivity, an important AUD biomarker, between low-to-high beer-drinking adolescent (n = 50, 16 to 18 years), and adult (n = 51, 30 to 35 years) males matched on drinking severity. METHODS Associations between beer odor-induced brain activity and AUD diagnosis, severity of alcohol use-related problems, recent alcohol use, binge-drinking frequency, and task-induced craving were investigated across and between age groups in regions of interest thought to be central in alcohol cue-reactivity: the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and striatal subregions (nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen). These analyses were complemented by exploratory whole-brain analyses. RESULTS Pre-task beer craving increased pre-to-post task in adolescents only. Individual differences in alcohol use, binge drinking, and craving did not relate to beer odor-induced activity. Although region-of-interest analyses did not reach significance, whole-brain analyses showed that adolescents with AUD, compared with adolescents without AUD and adults with AUD, had higher beer odor-induced activity in a large mesocorticolimbic cluster encompassing the right caudate, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, and the olfactory sulcus. Activity in the right caudate and putamen was positively associated with the severity of alcohol use-related problems in adolescents but negatively associated in adults. CONCLUSION These findings suggest a differential role of alcohol cue-reactivity in adolescents compared with adults with AUD and highlight the need for further studies investigating the role of age in the fundamental processes underlying the development of and recovery from of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gabry Mies
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nora Runia
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maik Derksen
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingo Willuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi Lesscher
- Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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Age-related differences in the effect of chronic alcohol on cognition and the brain: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:345. [PMID: 36008381 PMCID: PMC9411553 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02100-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is an important developmental period associated with increased risk for excessive alcohol use, but also high rates of recovery from alcohol use-related problems, suggesting potential resilience to long-term effects compared to adults. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the current evidence for a moderating role of age on the impact of chronic alcohol exposure on the brain and cognition. We searched Medline, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases up to February 3, 2021. All human and animal studies that directly tested whether the relationship between chronic alcohol exposure and neurocognitive outcomes differs between adolescents and adults were included. Study characteristics and results of age-related analyses were extracted into reference tables and results were separately narratively synthesized for each cognitive and brain-related outcome. The evidence strength for age-related differences varies across outcomes. Human evidence is largely missing, but animal research provides limited but consistent evidence of heightened adolescent sensitivity to chronic alcohol's effects on several outcomes, including conditioned aversion, dopaminergic transmission in reward-related regions, neurodegeneration, and neurogenesis. At the same time, there is limited evidence for adolescent resilience to chronic alcohol-induced impairments in the domain of cognitive flexibility, warranting future studies investigating the potential mechanisms underlying adolescent risk and resilience to the effects of alcohol. The available evidence from mostly animal studies indicates adolescents are both more vulnerable and potentially more resilient to chronic alcohol effects on specific brain and cognitive outcomes. More human research directly comparing adolescents and adults is needed despite the methodological constraints. Parallel translational animal models can aid in the causal interpretation of observed effects. To improve their translational value, future animal studies should aim to use voluntary self-administration paradigms and incorporate individual differences and environmental context to better model human drinking behavior.
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11
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Barney TM, Vore AS, Deak T. Acute Ethanol Challenge Differentially Regulates Expression of Growth Factors and miRNA Expression Profile of Whole Tissue of the Dorsal Hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:884197. [PMID: 35706690 PMCID: PMC9189295 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.884197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute ethanol exposure produces rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression that are both time- and cytokine-dependent. Interestingly, adolescent rats, who often consume binge-like quantities of alcohol, displayed reduced neuroimmune responses to acute ethanol challenge. However, it is not known whether growth factors, a related group of signaling factors, respond to ethanol similarly in adults and adolescents. Therefore, Experiment 1 aimed to assess the growth factor response to ethanol in both adolescents and adults. To test this, adolescent (P29-P34) and adult (P70-P80) Sprague Dawley rats of both sexes were injected with either ethanol (3.5 g/kg) or saline, and brains were harvested 3 h post-injection for assessment of growth factor, cytokine, or miRNA expression. As expected, acute ethanol challenge significantly increased IL-6 and IκBα expression in the hippocampus and amygdala, replicating our prior findings. Acute ethanol significantly decreased BDNF and increased FGF2 regardless of age condition. PDGF was unresponsive to ethanol, but showed heightened expression among adolescent males. Because recent work has focused on the PDE4 inhibitor ibudilast for treatment in alcohol use disorder, Experiment 2 tested whether ibudilast would alter ethanol-evoked gene expression changes in cytokines and growth factors in the CNS. Ibudilast (9.0 mg/kg s.c.) administration 1 h prior to ethanol had no effect on ethanol-induced changes in cytokine or growth factor changes in the hippocampus or amygdala. To further explore molecular alterations evoked by acute ethanol challenge in the adult rat hippocampus, Experiment 3 tested whether acute ethanol would change the miRNA expression profile of the dorsal hippocampus using RNASeq, which revealed a rapid suppression of 12 miRNA species 3 h after acute ethanol challenge. Of the miRNA affected by ethanol, the majority were related to inflammation or cell survival and proliferation factors, including FGF2, MAPK, NFκB, and VEGF. Overall, these findings suggest that ethanol-induced, rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression were (i) muted among adolescents; (ii) independent of PDE4 signaling; and (iii) accompanied by changes in several growth factors (increased FGF2, decreased BDNF). In addition, ethanol decreased expression of multiple miRNA species, suggesting a dynamic molecular profile of changes in the hippocampus within a few short hours after acute ethanol challenge. Together, these findings may provide important insight into the molecular consequences of heavy drinking in humans.
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Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Administration during Adolescence Produces Sex Dependent Impairments in Behavioral Flexibility and Survivability. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050606. [PMID: 35624993 PMCID: PMC9139058 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during adolescence produces behavioral impairments and neurobiological changes that can last into young adulthood. One such behavioral impairment is reduced behavioral flexibility, a behavioral impairment that has been correlated with the risk for increased ethanol intake. In the current study, we investigated if chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during adolescence alters cognition, including behavioral flexibility, over a 22-month testing period. Female and male rats were treated with either 3.0 g/kg or 5.0 g/kg ethanol via gavage in a chronic intermittent fashion during adolescence and then tested every 4 to 5 months on a series of cognitive measures in the Morris water maze. Chronic intermittent ethanol selectively impaired behavioral flexibility in both female and male rats, although the pattern of results was different as a function of sex. In addition, female, but not male, rats were impaired in a short-term relearning test. Finally, male rats administered ethanol during adolescence were significantly more likely to not survive the 22-month experiment compared to female rats administered ethanol during adolescence. The current results demonstrate that adolescence is a unique period of development where chronic intermittent ethanol exposure produces long-lasting, selective cognitive impairments across the lifespan.
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Dannenhoffer CA, Gómez-A A, Macht VA, Jawad R, Sutherland EB, Vetreno RP, Crews FT, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Impact of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure on interneurons and their surrounding perineuronal nets in adulthood. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:759-769. [PMID: 35307830 PMCID: PMC9117471 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting alterations in the brain and behavior. For example, adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in rodents results in long-term loss of functional connectivity among prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatal regions as well as a variety of neurochemical, molecular, and epigenetic alterations. Interneurons in the PFC and striatum play critical roles in behavioral flexibility and functional connectivity. For example, parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are known to contribute to neural synchrony and cholinergic interneurons contribute to strategy selection. Furthermore, extracellular perineuronal nets (PNNs) that surround some interneurons, particularly PV+ interneurons, further regulate cellular plasticity. The effect of AIE exposure on the expression of these markers within the PFC is not well understood. METHODS The present study tested the hypothesis that AIE exposure reduces the expression of PV+ and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ interneurons in the adult PFC and striatum and increases the related expression of PNNs (marked by binding of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin lectin) in adulthood. Male rats were exposed to AIE (5 g/kg/day, 2-days-on/2-days-off, i.e., P25 to P54) or water (CON), and brain tissue was harvested in adulthood (>P80). Immunohistochemistry and co-immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression of ChAT, PV, and PNNs within the adult PFC and striatum following AIE exposure. RESULTS ChAT and PV interneuron densities in the striatum and PFC were unchanged after AIE exposure. However, PNN density in the PFC of AIE-exposed rats was greater than in CON rats. Moreover, significantly more PV neurons were surrounded by PNNs in AIE-exposed subjects than controls in both PFC subregions assessed: orbitofrontal cortex (CON = 34%; AIE = 40%) and medial PFC (CON = 10%; AIE = 14%). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that, following AIE exposure, PV interneuron expression in the adult PFC and striatum is unaltered, while PNNs surrounding these neurons are increased. This increase in PNNs may restrict the plasticity of the ensheathed neurons, thereby contributing to impaired microcircuitry in frontostriatal connectivity and related behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Dannenhoffer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander Gómez-A
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Victoria A Macht
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rayyanoor Jawad
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elizabeth Blake Sutherland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ryan P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fulton T Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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14
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Towner TT, Applegate DT, Varlinskaya EI, Werner DF. Impact of Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure on Social Investigation, Social Preference, and Neuronal Activation in cFos-LacZ Male and Female Rats. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:841657. [PMID: 35401161 PMCID: PMC8984146 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.841657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period during which alcohol use is often initiated and consumed in high quantities, often at binge or even high-intensity drinking levels. Our lab has repeatedly found that adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in rats results in long-lasting social impairments, specifically in males, however our knowledge of the neuronal underpinnings to this sex-specific effect of AIE is limited. The present study was designed to test whether social anxiety-like alterations in AIE-exposed males would be accompanied by alterations of neuronal activation across brain regions associated with social behavior, with AIE females demonstrating no social impairments and alterations in neuronal activation. Adolescent male and female cFos-LacZ transgenic rats on a Sprague-Dawley background were exposed to ethanol (4 g/kg, 25% v/v) or water via intragastric gavage every other day during postnatal days (P) 25–45 for a total of 11 exposures (n = 13 per group). Social behavior of adult rats was assessed on P70 using a modified social interaction test, and neuronal activation in brain regions implicated in social responding was assessed via β-galactosidase (β-gal) expression. We found that AIE exposure in males resulted in a significantly lower social preference coefficient relative to water-exposed controls, with no effect evident in females. Exposure-specific relationships between social behavior and neuronal activation were identified, with AIE eliminating correlations found in water controls related to social interaction, and eliciting negative correlations mainly in limbic regions in a sex-specific manner. AIE exposure in the absence of social testing was also found to differentially affect neural activity in the orbitofrontal cortex and central amygdala in males and females. These data suggest that AIE produces sex-specific social impairments that are potentially driven by differential neuronal activation states in regions important for social behavior, including the medial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, nucleus accumbens, lateral septum, and central amygdala. Future studies should be focused on identification of specific neuronal phenotypes activated by interaction with a social partner in AIE-exposed subjects and their control counterparts.
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15
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Charlton AJ, Perry CJ. The Effect of Chronic Alcohol on Cognitive Decline: Do Variations in Methodology Impact Study Outcome? An Overview of Research From the Past 5 Years. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:836827. [PMID: 35360176 PMCID: PMC8960615 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.836827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use is often associated with accelerated cognitive decline, and extensive research using animal models of human alcohol consumption has been conducted into potential mechanisms for this relationship. Within this literature there is considerable variability in the types of models used. For example, alcohol administration style (voluntary/forced), length and schedule of exposure and abstinence period are often substantially different between studies. In this review, we evaluate recent research into alcohol-induced cognitive decline according to methodology of alcohol access, as well as cognitive behavioral task employed. Our aim was to query whether the nature and severity of deficits observed may be impacted by the schedule and type of alcohol administration. We furthermore examined whether there is any apparent relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and the severity of the deficit, as well as the potential impact of abstinence length, and other factors such as age of administration, and sex of subject. Over the past five years, researchers have overwhelmingly used non-voluntary methods of intake, however deficits are still found where intake is voluntary. Magnitude of intake and type of task seem most closely related to the likelihood of producing a deficit, however even this did not follow a consistent pattern. We highlight the importance of using systematic and clear reporting styles to facilitate consistency across the literature in this regard. We hope that this analysis will provide important insights into how experimental protocols might influence findings, and how different patterns of consumption are more or less likely to produce an addiction-vulnerable cognitive phenotype in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annai J. Charlton
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christina J. Perry
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Christina J. Perry,
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16
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Matthews DB, Imhoff BM. Age modifies the effect of ethanol on behavior: Investigations in adolescent, adult and aged rats. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 161:251-275. [PMID: 34801171 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The number of older people is increasing in most if not all countries in the world. In addition, the amount of alcohol consumption in the aged population is increasing and the consumption pattern is often in a binge fashion. However, little is known if the effects of alcohol, either acute or chronic exposure, vary in the older population compared to younger populations. The current mini-review will provide an overview of the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure at three different periods of development: adolescent, adult and aged on multiple different commonly studied behaviors. The overall conclusion is that biological age of the subject is a critical factor in understanding the effects of ethanol across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States.
| | - B M Imhoff
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
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17
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Reitz NL, Nunes PT, Savage LM. Adolescent Binge-Type Ethanol Exposure in Rats Mirrors Age-Related Cognitive Decline by Suppressing Cholinergic Tone and Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:772857. [PMID: 34744657 PMCID: PMC8569390 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.772857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy alcohol consumption followed by periods of abstinence (i.e., binge drinking) during adolescence is a concern for both acute and chronic health issues. Persistent brain damage after adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure in rodents, a model of binge drinking, includes reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and a loss of neurons in the basal forebrain that express the cholinergic phenotype. The circuit formed between those regions, the septohippocampal pathway, is critical for learning and memory. Furthermore, this circuit is also altered during the aging process. Thus, we examined whether pathology in septohippocampal circuit and impairments in spatial behaviors are amplified during aging following adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure. Female and male rats were exposed to intermittent intragastric gavage of water (control) or 20% ethanol (dose of 5 g/kg) for a 2 days on/off cycle from postnatal days 25-55. Either 2 (young adult) or 12-14 (middle-age) months post exposure, rats were tested on two spatial tasks: spontaneous alternation and novel object in place. Acetylcholine efflux was assessed in the hippocampus during both tasks. There was no adolescent ethanol-induced deficit on spontaneous alternation, but middle-aged male rats displayed lower alternation rates. Male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence had blunted behavioral evoked acetylcholine during spontaneous alternation testing. All ethanol-exposed rats displayed suppression of the cholinergic neuronal phenotype. On the novel object in place task, regardless of sex, ethanol-exposed rats performed significantly worse than control-treated rats, and middle aged-rats, regardless of sex or ethanol exposure, were significantly impaired relative to young adult rats. These results indicate that male rats display earlier age-related cognitive impairment on a working memory task. Furthermore, male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence have blunted behavior-evoked hippocampal acetylcholine efflux. In addition, middle-aged and ethanol-exposed rats, regardless of sex, are impaired at determining discrete spatial relationship between objects. This type of pattern separation impairment was associated with a loss of neurogenesis. Thus, binge-type adolescent ethanol exposure does affect the septohippocampal circuit, and can accelerate age-related cognitive impairment on select spatial tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lisa M. Savage
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University – State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
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18
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Kipp BT, Nunes PT, Galaj E, Hitchcock B, Nasra T, Poynor KR, Heide SK, Reitz NL, Savage LM. Adolescent Ethanol Exposure Alters Cholinergic Function and Apical Dendritic Branching Within the Orbital Frontal Cortex. Neuroscience 2021; 473:52-65. [PMID: 34450212 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
During adolescence, heavy binge-like ethanol consumption can lead to frontocortical structural and functional impairments. These impairments are likely driven by adolescence being a critical time point for maturation of brain regions associated with higher-order cognitive functioning. Rodent models of heavy binge-like ethanol exposure show consistent disruptions to the typical development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). All deep cortical layers receive cholinergic projections that originate from the Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM) complex. These cholinergic projections are highly involved in learning, memory, and attention. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) induces cholinergic dysfunction as a result of an epigenetic suppression of the genes that drive the cholinergic phenotype. The current study used a model of AIE to assess structural and functional changes to the frontal cortex and NbM following binge-like ethanol exposure in adolescence. Western blot analysis revealed long-term disruptions of the cholinergic circuit following AIE: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was suppressed in the NbM and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) was suppressed in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In vivo microdialysis for acetylcholine efflux during a spatial memory task determined changes in cholinergic modulation within the PFC following AIE. However, AIE spared performance on the spatial memory task and on an operant reversal task. In a second study, Golgi-Cox staining determined that AIE increased apical dendritic complexity in the OFC, with sex influencing whether the increase in branching occurred near or away from the soma. Spine density or maturity was not affected, likely compensating for a disruption in neurotransmitter function following AIE.
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Affiliation(s)
- B T Kipp
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - P T Nunes
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - E Galaj
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - B Hitchcock
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - T Nasra
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - K R Poynor
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - S K Heide
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - N L Reitz
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - L M Savage
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA.
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19
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Nieto SJ, Grodin EN, Aguirre CG, Izquierdo A, Ray LA. Translational opportunities in animal and human models to study alcohol use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:496. [PMID: 34588417 PMCID: PMC8481537 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01615-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal and human laboratory paradigms offer invaluable approaches to study the complex etiologies and mechanisms of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We contend that human laboratory models provide a "bridge" between preclinical and clinical studies of AUD by allowing for well-controlled experimental manipulations in humans with AUD. As such, examining the consilience between experimental models in animals and humans in the laboratory provides unique opportunities to refine the translational utility of such models. The overall goal of the present review is to provide a systematic description and contrast of commonly used animal paradigms for the study of AUD, as well as their human laboratory analogs if applicable. While there is a wide breadth of animal species in AUD research, the paradigms discussed in this review rely predominately on rodent research. The overarching goal of this effort is to provide critical analysis of these animal models and to link them to human laboratory models of AUD. By systematically contrasting preclinical and controlled human laboratory models, we seek to identify opportunities to enhance their translational value through forward and reverse translation. We provide future directions to reconcile differences between animal and human work and to improve translational research for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Nieto
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Claudia G. Aguirre
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
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20
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De Falco E, White SM, Morningstar MD, Ma B, Nkurunziza LT, Ahmed‐Dilibe A, Wellman CL, Lapish CC. Impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency are associated with increased alcohol consumption in rodent models of excessive drinking. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13004. [PMID: 33508872 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13004] [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: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by impairments in decision-making that can exist as stable traits or transient states. Cognitive inflexibility reflects an inability to update information that guides decision-making and is thought to contribute to the inability to abstain from drinking. While several studies have reported evidence of impaired cognitive flexibility following chronic alcohol exposure, evidence that a pre-existing impairment in cognitive flexibility is a heritable risk factor for AUD is scarce. Here, we found that cognitive flexibility was impaired in rodents selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption (alcohol preferring (P) rats), on the attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Further, the degree of impairment is predictive of future ethanol consumption, thus suggesting that cognitive inflexibility is a stable trait capable of predisposing one for drinking. In a second set of experiments, we observed an impairment in the ability of P rats to use a previously learned rule to guide foraging in a simple discrimination task. Convergence across several behavioral measures suggested that this impairment reflected a state of heightened urgency that interfered with decision-making. A similar impairment on a simple discrimination task was observed in Wistar rats with a history of alcohol consumption. These findings indicate how trait and state variables-in this case, impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency, respectively-may influence the risk for excessive drinking. Furthermore, our results suggest that cognitive inflexibility and urgency can exist as both risk factors for and the result of alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela De Falco
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Shelby M. White
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Mitchell D. Morningstar
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Baofeng Ma
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Lionnel T. Nkurunziza
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Anisah Ahmed‐Dilibe
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Cara L. Wellman
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Indiana University, Bloomington IN USA
| | - Christopher C. Lapish
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
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21
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Robinson DL, Amodeo LR, Chandler LJ, Crews FT, Ehlers CL, Gómez-A A, Healey KL, Kuhn CM, Macht VA, Marshall SA, Swartzwelder HS, Varlinskaya EI, Werner DF. The role of sex in the persistent effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on behavior and neurobiology in rodents. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 160:305-340. [PMID: 34696877 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol drinking is often initiated during adolescence, and this frequently escalates to binge drinking. As adolescence is also a period of dynamic neurodevelopment, preclinical evidence has highlighted that some of the consequences of binge drinking can be long lasting with deficits persisting into adulthood in a variety of cognitive-behavioral tasks. However, while the majority of preclinical work to date has been performed in male rodents, the rapid increase in binge drinking in adolescent female humans has re-emphasized the importance of addressing alcohol effects in the context of sex as a biological variable. Here we review several of the consequences of adolescent ethanol exposure in light of sex as a critical biological variable. While some alcohol-induced outcomes, such as non-social approach/avoidance behavior and sleep disruption, are generally consistent across sex, others are variable across sex, such as alcohol drinking, sensitivity to ethanol, social anxiety-like behavior, and induction of proinflammatory markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donita L Robinson
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
| | - Leslie R Amodeo
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | - L Judson Chandler
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Fulton T Crews
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cindy L Ehlers
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alexander Gómez-A
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kati L Healey
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Cynthia M Kuhn
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Victoria A Macht
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - S Alexander Marshall
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - H Scott Swartzwelder
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - David F Werner
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), United States; Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
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22
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Dannenhoffer CA, Robertson MM, Macht VA, Mooney SM, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Chronic alcohol exposure during critical developmental periods differentially impacts persistence of deficits in cognitive flexibility and related circuitry. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 160:117-173. [PMID: 34696872 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility in decision making depends on prefrontal cortical function and is used by individuals to adapt to environmental changes in circumstances. Cognitive flexibility can be measured in the laboratory using a variety of discrete, translational tasks, including those that involve reversal learning and/or set-shifting ability. Distinct components of flexible behavior rely upon overlapping brain circuits, including different prefrontal substructures that have separable impacts on decision making. Cognitive flexibility is impaired after chronic alcohol exposure, particularly during development when the brain undergoes rapid maturation. This review examines how cognitive flexibility, as indexed by reversal and set-shifting tasks, is impacted by chronic alcohol exposure in adulthood, adolescent, and prenatal periods in humans and animal models. We also discuss areas for future study, including mechanisms that may contribute to the persistence of cognitive deficits after developmental alcohol exposure and the compacting consequences from exposure across multiple critical periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Dannenhoffer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - M M Robertson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Victoria A Macht
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - S M Mooney
- Nutrition Research Institute and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - C A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
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23
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Acute depletion of dopamine precursors in the human brain: effects on functional connectivity and alcohol attentional bias. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1421-1431. [PMID: 33727642 PMCID: PMC8209208 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-00993-9] [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: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals who abuse alcohol often show exaggerated attentional bias (AB) towards alcohol-related cues, which is thought to reflect reward conditioning processes. Rodent studies indicate that dopaminergic pathways play a key role in conditioned responses to reward- and alcohol-associated cues. However, investigation of the dopaminergic circuitry mediating this process in humans remains limited. We hypothesized that depletion of central dopamine levels in adult alcohol drinkers would attenuate AB and that these effects would be mediated by altered function in frontolimbic circuitry. Thirty-four male participants (22-38 years, including both social and heavy drinkers) underwent a two-session, placebo-controlled, double-blind dopamine precursor depletion procedure. At each visit, participants consumed either a balanced amino acid (control) beverage or an amino acid beverage lacking dopamine precursors (order counterbalanced), underwent resting-state fMRI, and completed behavioral testing on three AB tasks: an alcohol dot-probe task, an alcohol attentional blink task, and a task measuring AB to a reward-conditioned cue. Dopamine depletion significantly diminished AB in each behavioral task, with larger effects among subjects reporting higher levels of binge drinking. The depletion procedure significantly decreased resting-state functional connectivity among ventral tegmental area, striatum, amygdala, and prefrontal regions. Beverage-related AB decreases were mediated by decreases in functional connectivity between the fronto-insular cortex and striatum and, for alcohol AB only, between anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala. The results support a substantial role for dopamine in AB, and suggest specific dopamine-modulated functional connections between frontal, limbic, striatal, and brainstem regions mediate general reward AB versus alcohol AB.
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24
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Alcohol Consumption during Adulthood Does Not Impair Later Go/No-Go Reversal Learning in Male Rats. NEUROSCI 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/neurosci2020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reversal learning tasks are used to model flexible decision-making in laboratory animals, and exposure to drugs of abuse can cause long-term impairments in reversal learning. However, the long-term effects of alcohol on reversal learning have varied. We evaluated whether six weeks of voluntary alcohol consumption through chronic intermittent alcohol access (elevated by food restriction) in adult male rats would impair rats in a go/no-go reversal learning task when tested at an interval beyond acute withdrawal. In our go/no-go task, rats were reinforced for pressing one lever or withholding from pressing another lever, and the identities of the two levers were switched twice (once rats reached an accuracy criterion). We found no evidence that prior alcohol consumption altered discrimination or reversal learning in our task. This replicates previous patterns from our laboratory that higher alcohol consumption in food-restricted rats did not impair discrimination or reversal learning in a different go/no-go task and that alcohol consumption in free-fed adolescent/early adult rats did not impair go/no-go discrimination or reversal learning in the same task. It is unclear whether this represents an insensitivity of this task to alcohol exposure generally or whether an alcohol exposure procedure that leads to higher blood ethanol concentration (BEC) levels would impair learning. More research is needed to investigate these possibilities.
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25
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Different Effects of Alcohol Exposure on Action and Outcome-Related Orbitofrontal Cortex Activity. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0052-21.2021. [PMID: 33785522 PMCID: PMC8174034 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0052-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol dependence can result in long-lasting deficits to decision-making and action control. Neurobiological investigations have identified orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as important for outcome-related contributions to goal-directed actions during decision-making. Prior work has shown that alcohol dependence induces long-lasting changes to OFC function that persist into protracted withdrawal and disrupts goal-directed control over actions. However, it is unclear whether these changes in function alter representation of action and outcome-related neural activity in OFC. Here, we used the well-validated chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure and withdrawal procedure to model alcohol dependence in mice and performed in vivo extracellular recordings during an instrumental task in which lever-press actions made for a food outcome. We found alcohol dependence disrupted goal-directed action control and increased OFC activity associated with lever-pressing but decreased OFC activity during outcome-related epochs. The ability to decode outcome-related information, but not action information, from OFC activity following CIE exposure was reduced. Hence, chronic alcohol exposure induced a long-lasting disruption to OFC function such that activity associated with actions was enhanced, but OFC activity contributions to outcome-related information was diminished. This has important implications for hypotheses regarding compulsive and habitual phenotypes observed in addiction.
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Altered Activity of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Neurons in Mice following Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0503-20.2021. [PMID: 33593732 PMCID: PMC7932186 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0503-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral orbitofrontal cortex (LOFC) is thought to encode information associated with consumption of rewarding substances and is essential for flexible decision-making. Indeed, firing patterns of LOFC neurons are modulated following changes in reward value associated with an action outcome relationship. Damage to the LOFC impairs behavioral flexibility in humans and is associated with suboptimal performance in reward devaluation protocols in rodents. As chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure also impairs OFC-dependent behaviors, we hypothesized that CIE exposure would alter LOFC neuronal activity during alcohol drinking, especially under conditions when the reward value of ethanol was modulated by aversive or appetitive tastants. To test this hypothesis, we monitored LOFC activity using GCaMP6f fiber photometry in mice receiving acute injections of ethanol and in those trained in operant ethanol self-administration. In naive mice, an acute injection of ethanol caused a dose-dependent decrease in the frequency but not amplitude of GCaMP6f transients. In operant studies, mice were trained on a fixed ratio one schedule of reinforcement and were then separated into CIE or Air groups. Following four cycles of CIE exposure, GCaMP6f activity was recorded during self-administration of alcohol, alcohol+quinine (aversive), or alcohol+sucrose (appetitive) solutions. LOFC neurons showed discrete patterns of activity surrounding lever presses and surrounding drinking bouts. Responding for and consumption of ethanol was greatly enhanced by CIE exposure, was aversion resistant, and was associated with signs of LOFC hyperexcitability. CIE-exposed mice also showed altered patterns of LOFC activity that varied with the ethanol solution consumed.
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Towner TT, Spear LP. Rats exposed to intermittent ethanol during late adolescence exhibit enhanced habitual behavior following reward devaluation. Alcohol 2021; 91:11-20. [PMID: 33031883 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.09.004] [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: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The brain undergoes substantial maturation during adolescence, and repeated exposure to ethanol at this time has been shown to result in long-lasting behavioral and neural consequences. During the broad period of adolescence, different neuronal populations and circuits are refined between early and late adolescence, suggesting the possibility that ethanol exposure at these differing times may lead to differential outcomes. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the impact of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) during early and late adolescence on the formation of goal-directed and habitual behavior in adulthood. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol via intragastric gavage (4.0 g/kg, 25% v/v) every other day from postnatal day (P) 25-45 or P45-65, considered early and late adolescence, respectively. In adulthood (~P70 early or ~ P90 late), rats were gradually food-restricted and began operant training on a fixed ratio 1 schedule. Rats were then transitioned onto random interval schedules and eventually underwent a sensory-specific satiation procedure as a model of reward devaluation. Few differences as a result of adolescent ethanol exposure were found during instrumental training. Following reward devaluation, rats exposed to water and ethanol during early adolescence exhibited reductions in lever pressing, suggestive of a goal-directed response pattern. In contrast, late AIE males and females demonstrated persistent responding following both devalued and non-devalued trials, findings representative of a habitual behavior pattern. The shifts from goal-directed to habitual behavior noted only following late AIE contribute to the growing literature identifying specific behavioral consequences as a result of ethanol exposure during distinct developmental periods within adolescence. More work is needed to determine whether the greater habit formation following late AIE is also associated with elevated habitual ethanol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Theodore Towner
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, United States.
| | - Linda Patia Spear
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, United States
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28
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Dannenhoffer CA, Werner DF, Varlinskaya EI, Spear LP. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure does not alter responsiveness to ifenprodil or expression of vesicular GABA and glutamate transporters. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:903-914. [PMID: 33511630 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22099] [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: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in the rat results in a retention of adolescent-like responsiveness to ethanol into adulthood characterized by enhanced sensitivity to socially facilitating and decreased sensitivity to socially suppressing and aversive effects. Similar pattern of responsiveness to social and aversive effects of the selective glutamate NMDA NR2B receptor antagonist ifenprodil is evident in adolescent rats, suggesting that AIE would also retain this pattern of ifenprodil sensitivity into adulthood. Social (Experiment 1) and aversive (measured via conditioned taste aversion; Experiment 2) effects of ifenprodil were assessed in adult male and female rats following AIE exposure. Sensitivity to the social and aversive effects of ifenprodil was not affected by AIE exposure. Experiment 3 assessed protein expression of vesicular transporters of GABA (vGAT) and glutamate (vGlut2) within the prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens in adolescents versus adults and in AIE adults versus controls. vGlut2 expression was higher in adolescents relative to adults within the PrL, but lower in the NAc. AIE adults did not retain these adolescent-typical ratios. These findings suggest that AIE is not associated with the retention of adolescent-typical sensitivity to NR2B receptor antagonism, along with no AIE-induced shift in vGlut2 to vGAT ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Dannenhoffer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David F Werner
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Linda P Spear
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
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29
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Suk JW, Hwang S, Cheong C. Functional and Structural Alteration of Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience Networks in Alcohol Use Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:742228. [PMID: 34744834 PMCID: PMC8564495 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.742228] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been related to aberrant functional connectivity (FC) in the salience network (SN), executive control network (ECN), and default mode network (DMN). However, there is a lack of comprehensive and simultaneous examination of these networks in patients with AUD and of their relation to potential anatomical changes. We aimed to comprehensively examine the alteration in FC in the three networks in AUD patients, and the correlation of the alteration with anatomical/structural changes (volume) in the neural areas implicated in these networks, by applying voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and region of interest-to-region of interest connectivity analysis simultaneously. In all, 22 patients with AUD and 22 healthy adults participated in the study and underwent T1 magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with AUD showed increased FCs within the DMN and SN networks, especially in terms of connectivity of the frontal areas and bilateral hippocampi. They also showed decreased FCs in the ECN. In addition, there was significant volume reduction in these areas (frontal areas and hippocampus). The increased FCs within the frontal areas or bilateral hippocampi showed a negative correlation with gray matter volume of these areas in AUD patients. Our findings add to the empirical evidence that the frontal lobe and hippocampi are critical areas that are vulnerable to functional and structural changes due to AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Woo Suk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Soonjo Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Chaejoon Cheong
- Bio-Chemical Analysis Team, Korean Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, South Korea
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30
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Wang N, Liu X, Li XT, Li XX, Ma W, Xu YM, Liu Y, Gao Q, Yang T, Wang H, Peng Y, Zhu XF, Guan YZ. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Alleviates Anxiety-Like Behavior Induced by Chronic Alcohol Exposure in Mice Involving Tropomyosin-Related Kinase B in the Amygdala. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:92-105. [PMID: 32895785 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02111-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use-associated disorders are highly comorbid with anxiety disorders; however, their mechanism remains unknown. The amygdala plays a central role in anxiety. We recently found that 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) significantly reduces withdrawal symptoms in a rat model of chronic intermittent alcohol (ethanol) exposure. This study aimed to determine the role of 7,8-DHF in regulating anxiety induced by chronic alcohol exposure and its associated underlying mechanism. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to chronic intermittent alcohol for 3 weeks followed by alcohol withdrawal for 12 h with or without 7,8-DHF administered intraperitoneally. All mice were tested using an open field test and elevated plus maze to assess anxiety-like behaviors. Synaptic activity and intrinsic excitability in basal and lateral amygdala (BLA) neurons were assessed using electrophysiological recordings. 7,8-DHF alleviated alcohol-induced anxiety-like behavior and attenuated alcohol-induced enhancement of activities in BLA pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, 7,8-DHF prevented alcohol withdrawal-evoked augmentation of glutamatergic transmission in the amygdala and had no effect on GABAergic transmission in the amygdala, as demonstrated by unaltered frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Microinjection of K252a, a tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) antagonist, into the BLA blocked the effects of 7,8-DHF on anxiety-like behavior and neuronal activity in the BLA. Our findings suggest that 7,8-DHF alleviates alcohol-induced anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic alcohol exposure through regulation of glutamate transmission involving TrKB in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wang
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Xin-Tong Li
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated First Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154000, China
| | - Xin-Xin Li
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Wei Ma
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Yan-Min Xu
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Qing Gao
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China
| | - Hongxuan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510828, China
| | - Ying Peng
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510828, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Zhu
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China.
| | - Yan-Zhong Guan
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157011, China.
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31
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Portelli J, Farokhnia M, Deschaine SL, Battista JT, Lee MR, Li X, Ron D, Leggio L. Investigating the link between serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and behavioral measures in anxious alcohol-dependent individuals. Alcohol 2020; 89:75-83. [PMID: 32798692 PMCID: PMC7722014 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in different neurophysiological processes, including those involved in alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that chronic excessive alcohol use leads to a downregulation of BDNF production in the periphery and in the brain. In addition, a decrease in BDNF concentrations in the blood has been reported to be associated with increased anxiety levels. Non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals with high trait anxiety were studied to assess whether serum BDNF concentrations may be linked to self-reported levels of alcohol drinking, anxiety, and other behavioral measures. Participants had a current diagnosis of alcohol dependence, high trait anxiety score, and were not seeking treatment for alcohol dependence or anxiety. A fasting blood sample was collected from each participant and serum BDNF was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Behavioral data were collected on the same day, including measures of alcohol drinking, craving, dependence severity, and anxiety. Bivariate correlations were run between BDNF levels and behavioral measures. Serum BDNF concentrations were negatively correlated with average drinks per drinking days (r = -0.41, p = 0.02) and positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive drinking scale (r = 0.48, p = 0.007) and state-trait anxiety inventory (r = 0.52, p = 0.003) scores. These findings shed light on the possible role of the BDNF system in the neurobiology of alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanelle Portelli
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mehdi Farokhnia
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sara L Deschaine
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jillian T Battista
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mary R Lee
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Xiaobai Li
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
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32
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Shields CN, Gremel CM. Review of Orbitofrontal Cortex in Alcohol Dependence: A Disrupted Cognitive Map? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1952-1964. [PMID: 32852095 PMCID: PMC8261866 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a persistent worldwide problem associated with long-lasting impairments to decision making processes. Some aspects of dysfunction are thought to reflect alcohol-induced changes to relevant brain areas such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In this review, we will examine how chronic alcohol exposure alters OFC function to potentially contribute to maladaptive decision making, and explore experimental behavioral approaches that may be better suited to test whether alcohol dependence disrupts OFC's function. We argue that although past works suggest impairments in aspects of OFC function, more information may be gained by specifically targeting tasks to the broader function of OFC as put forth by the recent hypothesis of OFC as a "cognitive map" of task space. Overall, we suggest that such a focus could provide a better understanding of how OFC function changes in alcohol dependence, and could inform better assessment tools and treatment options for clinicians working with this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe N. Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M. Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Abstract
Increased motivation towards alcohol use and suboptimal behavioral control are suggested to predispose adolescents to alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Paradoxically however, most adolescent AUDs resolve over time without any formal intervention, suggesting adolescent resilience to AUDs. Importantly, studies directly comparing adolescent and adult alcohol use are largely missing. We therefore aimed to unravel the moderating role of age in the relation between alcohol use and motivational and control-related cognitive processes in 45 adolescent drinkers compared to 45 adults. We found that enhancement drinking motives and impulsivity related positively to alcohol use. Although enhancement drinking motives and impulsivity were higher in adolescents, the strength of the relation between these measures and alcohol use did not differ between age groups. None of the alcohol use-related motivational measures (i.e., craving, attentional bias, and approach bias) and behavioral control measures (i.e., interference control, risky decision making, and working-memory) were associated with alcohol use or differed between age groups. These findings support the role of impulsivity and affective sensitivity in adolescent drinking but question the moderating role of age therein. The current study contributes towards understanding the role of age in the relation between alcohol use and cognition.
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Popova NK, Ilchibaeva TV, Antonov EV, Pershina AV, Bazovkina DV, Naumenko VS. On the interaction between BDNF and serotonin systems: The effects of long-term ethanol consumption in mice. Alcohol 2020; 87:1-15. [PMID: 32330588 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of chronic (6 weeks) consumption of 10% alcohol on the principal elements of BDNF (BDNF, proBDNF, p75, and TrkB receptors) and 5-HT (5-HT, 5-HIAA, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 [Tph-2], 5-HT transporter [5-HTT], 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT7 receptors) systems in the brain of C57Bl/6 mice. BDNF mRNA level in the raphe nuclei area and BDNF protein level in the hippocampus were lowered in ethanol-treated mice. The increase in proBDNF protein level in the raphe nuclei area, cortex, and amygdala and the increase of p75 receptor protein levels in the raphe nuclei area were revealed after ethanol exposure. Alcohol intake reduced the protein level and increased the activity of Tph-2, the key enzyme for serotonin biosynthesis in the brain, and increased the main 5-HT metabolite 5-HIAA level and 5-HIAA/5-НТ ratio as well as the 5-HT7 receptor mRNA level in the raphe nuclei area. In the cortex, 5-HT2A receptor protein level was reduced, and 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio was increased. These data showed considerable impact of alcoholization on the BDNF system, resulting in proBDNF and p75 receptor expression enhancement. Alcohol-induced changes in BDNF and 5-HT systems were revealed in the raphe nuclei area where the majority of the cell bodies of the 5-HT neurons are localized, as well as in the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Our data suggest that the BDNF/5-HT interaction contributes to the mechanism underlying chronic alcohol-induced neurodegenerative disorders.
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Aguirre CG, Stolyarova A, Das K, Kolli S, Marty V, Ray L, Spigelman I, Izquierdo A. Sex-dependent effects of chronic intermittent voluntary alcohol consumption on attentional, not motivational, measures during probabilistic learning and reversal. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234729. [PMID: 32555668 PMCID: PMC7302450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Forced alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) exposure has been shown to cause significant impairments on reversal learning, a widely-used assay of cognitive flexibility, specifically on fully-predictive, deterministic versions of this task. However, previous studies have not adequately considered voluntary EtOH consumption and sex effects on probabilistic reversal learning. The present study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. Methods Male and female Long-Evans rats underwent either 10 weeks of voluntary intermittent 20% EtOH access or water only (H2O) access. Rats were then pretrained to initiate trials and learn stimulus-reward associations via touchscreen response, and subsequently required to select between two visual stimuli, rewarded with probability 0.70 or 0.30. In the final phase, reinforcement contingencies were reversed. Results We found significant sex differences on several EtOH-drinking variables, with females reaching a higher maximum EtOH consumption, exhibiting more high-drinking days, and escalating their EtOH at a quicker rate compared to males. During early abstinence, EtOH drinkers (and particularly EtOH-drinking females) made more initiation omissions and were slower to initiate trials than H2O drinking controls, especially during pretraining. A similar pattern in trial initiations was also observed in discrimination, but not in reversal learning. EtOH drinking rats were unaffected in their reward collection and stimulus response times, indicating intact motivation and motor responding. Although there were sex differences in discrimination and reversal phases, performance improved over time. We also observed sex-independent drinking group differences in win-stay and lose-shift strategies specific to the reversal phase. Conclusions Females exhibit increased vulnerability to EtOH effects in early learning: there were sex-dependent EtOH effects on attentional measures during pretraining and discrimination phases. We also found sex-independent EtOH effects on exploration strategies during reversal. Future studies should aim to uncover the neural mechanisms for changes in attention and exploration in both acute and prolonged EtOH withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia G. Aguirre
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AI); (CGA)
| | - Alexandra Stolyarova
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Kanak Das
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Saisriya Kolli
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Vincent Marty
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- School of Dentistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States America
| | - Lara Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Integrative Center for Addictions, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Igor Spigelman
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- School of Dentistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States America
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Integrative Center for Addictions, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AI); (CGA)
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Seemiller LR, Gould TJ. The effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on learning and related neurobiology in humans and rodents. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 172:107234. [PMID: 32428585 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol use is a widespread problem in the United States. In both humans and rodents, alcohol can impair learning and memory processes mediated by forebrain areas such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC). Adolescence is a period in which alcohol use often begins, and it is also a time that can be uniquely sensitive to the detrimental effects of alcohol. Exposure to alcohol during adolescence can cause persisting alterations in PFC and HC neurobiology that are linked to cognitive impairments, including changes in neurogenesis, inflammation, and various neurotransmitter systems in rodent models. Consistent with this, chronic adolescent alcohol exposure can cause PFC-dependent learning impairments that persist into adulthood. Deficits in adult HC-dependent learning after adolescent alcohol exposure have also been reported, but these findings are less consistent. Overall, evidence summarized in this review indicates that adolescent exposure to alcohol can produce long-term detrimental effects on forebrain-dependent cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Seemiller
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Galaj E, Barrera E, Morris D, Ma YY, Ranaldi R. Aberrations in Incentive Learning and Responding to Heroin in Male Rats After Adolescent or Adult Chronic Binge-Like Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1214-1223. [PMID: 32311102 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Binge drinking is a serious problem among adolescents and young adults despite its adverse consequences on the brain and behavior. One area that remains poorly understood concerns the impact of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on incentive learning. METHODS Here, we examined the effects of CIE exposure during different developmental stages on conditioned approach and conditioned reward learning in rats experiencing acute or protracted withdrawal from alcohol. Two or 21 days after adolescent or adult CIE exposure, male rats were exposed to pairings of a light stimulus (CS) and food pellets for 3 consecutive daily sessions (30 CS-food pellet pairings per session). This was followed by conditioned approach testing measuring responses (food trough head entries) to the CS-only presentations and by conditioned reward testing measuring responses on a lever producing the CS and on another producing a tone. We then measured behavioral sensitization to repeated injections of heroin (2 mg/kg/d for 9 days). RESULTS Adolescent and adult alcohol-treated rats showed significantly impaired conditioned reward learning regardless of withdrawal period (acute or prolonged). We found no evidence of changes to conditioned approach learning after adolescent or adult exposure to CIE. Finally, in addition to producing long-term impairments in incentive learning, CIE exposure enhanced locomotor activity in response to heroin and had no effect on behavioral sensitization to heroin regardless of age and withdrawal period. CONCLUSIONS Our work sets a framework for identifying CIE-induced alterations in incentive learning and inducing susceptibility to subsequent opioid effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- From the, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, (EG), National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eddy Barrera
- Department of Psychology, (EB, DM, RR), Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Debra Morris
- Department of Psychology, (EB, DM, RR), Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Yao-Ying Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, (Y-YM), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Robert Ranaldi
- Department of Psychology, (EB, DM, RR), Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
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Arinze I, Moorman DE. Selective impact of lateral orbitofrontal cortex inactivation on reinstatement of alcohol seeking in male Long-Evans rats. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:108007. [PMID: 32092436 PMCID: PMC10373069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a fundamental role in motivated behavior and decision-making. In humans, OFC structure and function is significantly disrupted in drug using and dependent individuals, including those exhibiting chronic alcohol use and alcoholism. In animal models, the OFC has been shown to significantly influence the seeking of non-alcohol drugs of abuse. However direct investigations of the OFC during alcohol seeking and use have been more limited. In the studies reported here, we inactivated lateral (lOFC) or medial OFC (mOFC) subregions in rats during multiple stages of alcohol seeking. After one month of intermittent access to homecage 20% ethanol (EtOH), rats were trained to self-administer EtOH under an FR3 schedule and implanted with cannulae directed to lOFC or mOFC. We inactivated OFC subregions with baclofen/muscimol during EtOH self-administration, extinction, cue-induced reinstatement, and progressive ratio testing to broadly characterize the influence of these subregions on alcohol seeking. There were no significant effects of mOFC or lOFC inactivation during FR3 self-administration, extinction, or progressive ratio self-administration. However, lOFC, and not mOFC, inactivation significantly decreased cue-induced reinstatement of EtOH seeking. These findings contribute new information to the specific impact of OFC manipulation on operant alcohol seeking, support previous studies investigating the role of OFC in seeking and consumption of alcohol and other drugs of abuse, and indicate a specific role for lOFC vs. mOFC in reinstatement.
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Dimitrova-Shumkovska J, Krstanoski L, Veenman L. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential of TSPO Studies Regarding Neurodegenerative Diseases, Psychiatric Disorders, Alcohol Use Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Stroke: An Update. Cells 2020; 9:cells9040870. [PMID: 32252470 PMCID: PMC7226777 DOI: 10.3390/cells9040870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation and cell death are among the common symptoms of many central nervous system diseases and injuries. Neuroinflammation and programmed cell death of the various cell types in the brain appear to be part of these disorders, and characteristic for each cell type, including neurons and glia cells. Concerning the effects of 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) on glial activation, as well as being associated with neuronal cell death, as a response mechanism to oxidative stress, the changes of its expression assayed with the aid of TSPO-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracers' uptake could also offer evidence for following the pathogenesis of these disorders. This could potentially increase the number of diagnostic tests to accurately establish the stadium and development of the disease in question. Nonetheless, the differences in results regarding TSPO PET signals of first and second generations of tracers measured in patients with neurological disorders versus healthy controls indicate that we still have to understand more regarding TSPO characteristics. Expanding on investigations regarding the neuroprotective and healing effects of TSPO ligands could also contribute to a better understanding of the therapeutic potential of TSPO activity for brain damage due to brain injury and disease. Studies so far have directed attention to the effects on neurons and glia, and processes, such as death, inflammation, and regeneration. It is definitely worthwhile to drive such studies forward. From recent research it also appears that TSPO ligands, such as PK11195, Etifoxine, Emapunil, and 2-Cl-MGV-1, demonstrate the potential of targeting TSPO for treatments of brain diseases and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Dimitrova-Shumkovska
- Department of Experimental Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Arhimedova 3, P.O. Box 162, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia;
- Correspondence: (J.D.-S.); (L.V.)
| | - Ljupcho Krstanoski
- Department of Experimental Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Arhimedova 3, P.O. Box 162, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia;
| | - Leo Veenman
- Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute of Medical Research, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa 31096, Israel
- Correspondence: (J.D.-S.); (L.V.)
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Kissorphin improves spatial memory and cognitive flexibility impairment induced by ethanol treatment in the Barnes maze task in rats. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 31:272-282. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Spear LP. Timing Eclipses Amount: The Critical Importance of Intermittency in Alcohol Exposure Effects. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:806-813. [PMID: 32056231 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Frequency and duration of ethanol (EtOH) exposures influence the consequences of those experiences, with evidence building from basic science studies in rats and mice that intermittent alcohol access (IAA) typically produces a greater escalation of EtOH intake than more continuous alcohol access (CAA). IAA also better simulates human use patterns where alcohol levels typically clear from the body between periods of use. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to contribute to the enhanced intake of EtOH induced by IAA, including a possible attenuation in the aversive effects of EtOH, although further studies are needed to address this and other possibilities. Neural differences include indications of an IAA-associated increase in NR2B receptors that is not evident with CAA; although little studied, alterations in other neural and neurotransmitter systems are evident as well. Many gaps in understanding of IAA/CAA effects remain. Further work is needed to characterize neural mechanisms underlying these effects, consequences of IAA/CAA on EtOH effects beyond intake, and the impact of stress and environmental variables on these differences. IAA/CAA studies to date have also largely been limited to males and to adult animals, and hence, more studies examining IAA/CAA across sex and age are needed. Such additional work is essential to determine unique contributors to IAA-induced elevations in EtOH intake that may provide important insights for the development of new prevention/intervention strategies for heavy alcohol use and abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Patia Spear
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
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Beckwith SW, Czachowski CL. Ethanol pre-exposure does not increase delay discounting in P rats, but does impair the ability to dynamically adapt behavioral allocation to changing reinforcer contingencies. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 187:172816. [PMID: 31654652 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Increased subjective discounting of delayed rewards is associated with substance abuse, and individuals tend to discount their drug of choice at a greater rate compared to monetary rewards. While there is evidence indicating that increased delay discounting (DD) is a risk factor for substance abuse, some results suggest that exposure to drugs of abuse also increases DD, but effects are mixed. The current study examined whether ethanol pre-exposure increases DD and if an ethanol reinforcer would be discounted at a greater rate than sucrose. Alcohol preferring (P) rats were pre-exposed to either ethanol or sucrose using an intermittent access protocol (IAP) for 8 weeks. Then animals completed an operant fixed choice procedure where each pre-exposure group was split into either an ethanol or sucrose reinforcer group. Afterwards, animals completed an adjusting delay DD task using the same groups as the fixed choice task. Animals that received access to ethanol in the IAP showed increased delayed reward preference in a delay and session dependent manner. Specifically, ethanol pre-exposed animals took more sessions to decrease their preference for the delayed reward at longer delays. In the adjusting delay task, no differences in mean adjusting delays were seen, but ethanol pre-exposure impaired animals' ability to reach stability criteria. The observed results are not consistent with ethanol pre-exposure causing a change in DD. Rather they indicate ethanol pre-exposure impaired animals' ability to reallocate their behavior in response to a change in reinforcer contingencies. The current findings extend prior results showing alcohol naïve P rats exhibit both increased DD and decreased response inhibition (Beckwith and Czachowski 2014, 2016) by demonstrating that after alcohol exposure they exhibit a form of behavioral inflexibility. Hence, a "two-hit" genetic vulnerability/environmental acceleration of addictive behavior is supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Wesley Beckwith
- Addiction Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 North Blackford Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States of America.
| | - Cristine Lynn Czachowski
- Addiction Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 North Blackford Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States of America
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Nunes PT, Kipp BT, Reitz NL, Savage LM. Aging with alcohol-related brain damage: Critical brain circuits associated with cognitive dysfunction. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 148:101-168. [PMID: 31733663 PMCID: PMC7372724 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcoholism is associated with brain damage and impaired cognitive functioning. The relative contributions of different etiological factors, such as alcohol, thiamine deficiency and age vulnerability, to the development of alcohol-related neuropathology and cognitive impairment are still poorly understood. One reason for this quandary is that both alcohol toxicity and thiamine deficiency produce brain damage and cognitive problems that can be modulated by age at exposure, aging following alcohol toxicity or thiamine deficiency, and aging during chronic alcohol exposure. Pre-clinical models of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) have elucidated some of the contributions of ethanol toxicity and thiamine deficiency to neuroinflammation, neuronal loss and functional deficits. However, the critical variable of age at the time of exposure or long-term aging with ARBD has been relatively ignored. Acute thiamine deficiency created a massive increase in neuroimmune genes and proteins within the thalamus and significant increases within the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Chronic ethanol treatment throughout adulthood produced very minor fluctuations in neuroimmune genes, regardless of brain region. Intermittent "binge-type" ethanol during the adolescent period established an intermediate neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, that can persist into adulthood. Chronic excessive drinking throughout adulthood, adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure, and thiamine deficiency all led to a loss of the cholinergic neuronal phenotype within the basal forebrain, reduced hippocampal neurogenesis, and alterations in the frontal cortex. Only thiamine deficiency results in gross pathological lesions of the thalamus. The behavioral impairment following these types of treatments is hierarchical: Thiamine deficiency produces the greatest impairment of hippocampal- and prefrontal-dependent behaviors, chronic ethanol drinking ensues mild impairments on both types of tasks and adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure leads to impairments on frontocortical tasks, with sparing on most hippocampal-dependent tasks. However, our preliminary data suggest that as rodents age following adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure, hippocampal functional deficits began to emerge. A necessary requirement for the advancement of understanding the neural consequences of alcoholism is a more comprehensive assessment and understanding of how excessive alcohol drinking at different development periods (adolescence, early adulthood, middle-aged and aged) influences the trajectory of the aging process, including pathological aging and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polliana Toledo Nunes
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Brian T Kipp
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Nicole L Reitz
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States.
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Abstract
There are vast literatures on the neural effects of alcohol and the neural effects of exercise. Simply put, exercise is associated with brain health, alcohol is not, and the mechanisms by which exercise benefits the brain directly counteract the mechanisms by which alcohol damages it. Although a degree of brain recovery naturally occurs upon cessation of alcohol consumption, effective treatments for alcohol-induced brain damage are badly needed, and exercise is an excellent candidate from a mechanistic standpoint. In this chapter, we cover the small but growing literature on the interactive neural effects of alcohol and exercise, and the capacity of exercise to repair alcohol-induced brain damage. Increasingly, exercise is being used as a component of treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD), not because it reverses alcohol-induced brain damage, but because it represents a rewarding, alcohol-free activity that could reduce alcohol cravings and improve comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. It is important to bear in mind, however, that multiple studies attest to a counterintuitive positive relationship between alcohol intake and exercise. We therefore conclude with cautionary notes regarding the use of exercise to repair the brain after alcohol damage.
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Varlinskaya EI, Hosová D, Towner T, Werner DF, Spear LP. Effects of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during early and late adolescence on anxiety-like behaviors and behavioral flexibility in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2019; 378:112292. [PMID: 31626849 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Although both humans and laboratory rodents demonstrate cognitive and affective alterations associated with adolescent alcohol exposure, it is still unknown whether the consequences of early initiation of alcohol use differ from those of later binge drinking within the adolescent developmental period. The present study was designed to assess the effects of early and late AIE on (1) anxiety-like behavior under social (modified social interaction test) and non-social test circumstances (modified light/dark box test, elevated plus maze), and (2) behavioral flexibility, indexed via set shifting in males and females. Early-mid adolescent intermittent exposure (early AIE) occurred between postnatal days (P) 25 and 45, whereas late adolescent intermittent exposure (late AIE) was conducted between P45 and P65, with behavioral testing initiated not earlier than 25 days after repeated exposure to ethanol (4.0 g/kg intragastrically, every other day for a total of 11 exposures). Anxiety-like behavior on the EPM was evident in males and females following early AIE, whereas only males demonstrated non-social anxiety on the EPM following late AIE. Social anxiety-like alterations and deficits in behavioral flexibility were evident only in males following early AIE. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate a particular vulnerability of young adolescent males to long-lasting detrimental effects of repeated ethanol and an insensitivity of older adolescent females to the intermittent ethanol exposure paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I Varlinskaya
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Dominika Hosová
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Trevor Towner
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - David F Werner
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States.
| | - Linda P Spear
- Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood Consortium (NADIA), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
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Huf F, Bandiera S, Müller CB, Gea L, Carvalho FB, Rahmeier FL, Reiter KC, Tortorelli LS, Gomez R, da Cruz Fernandes M. Comparative study on the effects of cigarette smoke exposure, ethanol consumption and association: Behavioral parameters, apoptosis, glial fibrillary acid protein and S100β immunoreactivity in different regions of the rat hippocampus. Alcohol 2019; 77:101-112. [PMID: 30870710 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to cigarette smoke and ethanol are proposed to trigger neurotoxicity, apoptosis, and to impair neuronal signaling. However, it is little known how the combination of both might trigger astrogliosis and the morphological changes capable of affecting a differential susceptibility of hippocampal regions to these licit drugs. The present study investigated the chronic effects of exposure to cigarette smoke and/or ethanol on behavioral parameters, apoptosis, and alteration in immunoreactivity of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and S100β in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) of the rat hippocampus. Adult male Wistar rats (n = 32) were divided into four groups: vehicle (VE, glucose 3% in water, 10 mL/kg), cigarette smoke (TOB, total 12 cigarettes per day), ethanol (ethanol, 2 g/kg), and cigarette smoke plus ethanol (TOB plus ethanol, total 12 cigarettes per day plus ethanol 2 g/kg) for 54 days. The groups were submitted to tail-flick, open-field, and inhibitory avoidance tasks. The results showed that ethanol per se worsened the short-term memory. The association between TOB and ethanol increased the immunoreactivity of cleaved caspase-3 in the CA3 and DG regions. The TOB plus ethanol group showed a lower immunoreactivity to GFAP in all regions of the hippocampus. In addition, ethanol and TOB per se also reduced the immunoreactivity for GFAP in the DG. Ethanol increased S100β immunoreactivity only in the DG. In conclusion, this study showed that only ethanol worsened short-term memory, and the DG became more susceptible to changes in the markers investigated. This evidence suggests that DG is more sensitive to neurotoxicity induced by cigarette smoke and ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Huf
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Solange Bandiera
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carolina B Müller
- Department of Biochemistry, ICBS/Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luiza Gea
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabiano B Carvalho
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Francine L Rahmeier
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Keli C Reiter
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas S Tortorelli
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rosane Gomez
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marilda da Cruz Fernandes
- Postgraduate Program in Pathology, Pathology Research Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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Solomon MG, Griffin WC, Lopez MF, Becker HC. Brain Regional and Temporal Changes in BDNF mRNA and microRNA-206 Expression in Mice Exposed to Repeated Cycles of Chronic Intermittent Ethanol and Forced Swim Stress. Neuroscience 2019; 406:617-625. [PMID: 30790666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and signaling activity in brain are influenced by chronic ethanol and stress. We previously demonstrated reduced Bdnf mRNA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following chronic ethanol treatment and forced swim stress (FSS) enhanced escalated drinking associated with chronic ethanol exposure. The present study examined the effects of chronic ethanol and FSS exposure, alone and in combination, on Bdnf mRNA expression in different brain regions, including mPFC, central amygdala (CeA), and hippocampus (HPC). Additionally, since microRNA-206 has been shown to negatively regulate BDNF expression, the effects of chronic ethanol and FSS on its expression in the target brain regions were examined. Mice received four weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor or air exposure and then starting 72-h later, the mice received either a single or 5 daily 10-min FSS sessions (or left undisturbed). Brain tissue samples were collected 4-h following final FSS testing and Bdnf mRNA and miR-206 levels were determined by qPCR assay. Results indicated dynamic brain regional and time-dependent changes in Bdnf mRNA and miR-206 expression. In general, CIE and FSS exposure reduced Bdnf mRNA expression while miR-206 levels were increased in the mPFC, CeA, and HPC. Further, in many instances, these effects were more robust in mice that experienced both CIE and FSS treatments. These results have important implications for the potential link between BDNF signaling in the brain and ethanol consumption related to stress interactions with chronic ethanol experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Solomon
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - William C Griffin
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 20401, USA.
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48
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Scarlata MJ, Lee SH, Lee D, Kandigian SE, Hiller AJ, Dishart JG, Mintz GE, Wang Z, Coste GI, Mousley AL, Soler I, Lawson K, Ng AJ, Bezek JL, Bergstrom HC. Chemogenetic stimulation of the infralimbic cortex reverses alcohol-induced fear memory overgeneralization. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6730. [PMID: 31040357 PMCID: PMC6491487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43159-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are often comorbid. Drinking tends to increase following trauma, which may exacerbate PTSD-related symptoms. Despite a clear relationship between excessive alcohol use and PTSD, how alcohol impacts the expression of traumatic fear remains unclear. This study aims to determine the neurobehavioral impact of chronic alcohol (ethanol; EtOH) on the expression of established fear memories in C57BL/6 N mice. We show that chronic EtOH selectively augments cued fear memory generalization and impairs fear extinction retrieval, leaving the expression of the original cued response intact. Immunohistochemistry for Arc/arg3.1 (Arc) revealed EtOH-induced decreases in Arc expression in the infralimbic cortex (IL) and basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) that were associated with cued fear memory overgeneralization. Chemogenetic stimulation of IL pyramidal neurons reversed EtOH-driven fear memory overgeneralization, identifying a role for the IL in cued fear memory precision. Considering the modulatory influence of the IL over conditioned fear expression, these data suggest a model whereby chronic EtOH-driven neuroadaptations in the IL promote fear memory overgeneralization. These findings provide new mechanistic insight into how excessive alcohol use, following exposure to a traumatic event, can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Scarlata
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - S H Lee
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - D Lee
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - S E Kandigian
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - A J Hiller
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - J G Dishart
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - G E Mintz
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - Z Wang
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - G I Coste
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - A L Mousley
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - I Soler
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - K Lawson
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - A J Ng
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - J L Bezek
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA
| | - H C Bergstrom
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, USA.
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49
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Yin L, Li F, Li J, Yang X, Xie X, Xue L, Li Y, Zhang C. Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Induces Upregulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Neurochem Res 2019; 44:1593-1601. [PMID: 30915602 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02783-8] [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: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, Gelatinase B), an extracellular-acting Zn2+-dependent endopeptidase, are involved in brain pathologies including ischemia, glioma, and epilepsy. Recent studies suggested that MMP-9 plays an important role in neuronal plasticity, specifically in learning and memory. To determine whether and how MMP-9 plays role in alcohol-related behaviors, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure for 4 weeks, following which we collected tissue samples from the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and amygdala at different stages (acute and chronic exposure) during alcohol exposure. Real-time PCR and western blot assays were used to detect changes in the mRNA and protein expression of MMP-9. Our results indicated that both acute and chronic alcohol exposure induced up-regulation of MMP-9 mRNA levels in the hippocampus and mPFC, but not in the amygdala. Furthermore, acute and chronic alcohol exposure up regulated the expression of total MMP-9 and active MMP-9 in these two brain regions. Moreover, the increase of active MMP-9 expression was larger than those in total MMP-9 expression. Immunoprecipitation analyses identified potential MMP-9-interacting proteins, including Itgb1, Src, Eef1a2, tubulin, actin, and histone H2B. These results demonstrate that both acute and CIE exposure induced increases in MMP-9 expression in the mPFC and hippocampus, suggesting that MMP-9 plays a key role in chronic alcohol exposure and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Litian Yin
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
| | - Fengqing Li
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Jue Li
- School of Clinic, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaorong Yang
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaoyan Xie
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Linyuan Xue
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yanli Li
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Ce Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Physiology, National Key Disciplines, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
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50
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Low cognitive flexibility as a risk for heavy alcohol drinking in non-human primates. Alcohol 2019; 74:95-104. [PMID: 30097387 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is frequently considered a habitual or inflexible behavior; however, measures of pre-existing cognitive flexibility prior to initiation of alcohol use are usually not available. This study used rhesus monkeys and an attentional set-shifting task to investigate whether pre-existing cognitive flexibility would predict increased risk for heavy alcohol drinking. As previously reported, monkeys were given 30 daily set-shifting sessions prior to alcohol access. These sessions consisted of the same sequence of eight unique visual discriminations (sets) of two objects that varied on two dimensions (shapes and colors). The ratio of errors per trials, session duration, and maximum set reached were primary dependent variables from each session and were used to compose a session performance index (PI) that ranged from a low performance PI of 31 to an optimal performance PI of 247. Here, animals underwent an alcohol induction period followed by 22 weeks of daily (22-h) self-administration sessions with free access to water and alcohol. Based on average daily alcohol intake during 22 weeks of 22-h/day access, the monkeys were categorized as non-heavy (mean = 2.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/day; n = 3) and heavy (mean = 3.3 ± 0.5 g/kg/day; n = 6) drinkers. The two groups diverged in performance on the set-shifting task across the 30 pre-alcohol sessions, and at the end of the pre-alcohol testing, the group average PI was 216 ± 27 and 137 ± 71 for the future non-heavy and heavy drinkers, respectively. The data show that low cognitive flexibility assessed with a set-shifting procedure was predictive of future classification as a heavy alcohol drinker. The data highlight individual differences in both cognitive flexibility and in alcohol self-administration in this population of rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, United States.
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