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Söderpalm B, Ericson M. Alcohol and the dopamine system. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 175:21-73. [PMID: 38555117 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine pathway plays a major role in drug reinforcement and is likely involved also in the development of drug addiction. Ethanol, like most addictive drugs, acutely activates the mesolimbic dopamine system and releases dopamine, and ethanol-associated stimuli also appear to trigger dopamine release. In addition, chronic exposure to ethanol reduces the baseline function of the mesolimbic dopamine system. The molecular mechanisms underlying ethanol´s interaction with this system remain, however, to be unveiled. Here research on the actions of ethanol in the mesolimbic dopamine system, focusing on the involvement of cystein-loop ligand-gated ion channels, opiate receptors, gastric peptides and acetaldehyde is briefly reviewed. In summary, a great complexity as regards ethanol´s mechanism(s) of action along the mesolimbic dopamine system has been revealed. Consequently, several new targets and possibilities for pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder have emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Söderpalm
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Addiction and Dependency, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Mia Ericson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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2
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Bendrath SC, Cook CA, Knapp DJ, Thiele TE. Orexinergic lateral hypothalamus (LH) projections to medial septum (MS) modulate ethanol-induced sedation in male and female mice and binge-like ethanol drinking in male mice only. Alcohol 2024; 115:13-22. [PMID: 37717641 PMCID: PMC10922035 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.09.003] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Orexin in both the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and medial septum (MS) is involved in sleep- and consciousness-related conditions. Since orexin modulates the intoxicating as well as rewarding effects of ethanol, this study focused on the role of orexin-projecting neurons from the LH to the MS, and this neurocircuit's role in mediating the sedative effects of alcohol. Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) behavior was also assessed as a measure of the role of the LH-MS pathway in modulating binge-like ethanol intake, with a particular focus on sex differences in both behavioral paradigms. Male and female Hcrt-ires-cre mice received cannulation in the MS, while the LH was injected bilaterally with cre-dependent excitatory (Gq) Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drug (DREADD), inhibitory (Gi) DREADD or control virus. All subjects received a 3.75 g/kg dose of 20 % ethanol intraperitoneally and the sedative effect was assessed by the loss of righting reflex (LORR). After behavioral testing, brains were used for c-Fos immunohistochemistry analyses. A separate cohort of mice was used for a 2-week DID protocol using excitatory (Gq) DREADD and control virus. Gq DREADD-induced activation of the orexin neurocircuitry from the LH to the MS significantly reduced sedation time in both female and male mice. Furthermore, CNO treatment failed to alter ethanol sedation times in both animals expressing Gi DREADDs and control virus. There were no significant differences in blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in any experimental group, suggesting that changes in sedation were not due to treatment-induced alterations of ethanol metabolism. Interestingly, in the DID study, only male mice decreased their ethanol consumption when Gq DREADDs were activated. These results provide novel evidence on the role played by this orexinergic LH to MS circuit on the sedative effects of ethanol and ethanol consumption in a sex-dependent manner. Thus, the MS should be considered further as a novel sexually dimorphic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C Bendrath
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States
| | - Cory A Cook
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States
| | - Darin J Knapp
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, United States
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, United States.
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3
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Collier AD, Yasmin N, Karatayev O, Abdulai AR, Yu B, Fam M, Campbell S, Leibowitz SF. Embryonic ethanol exposure and optogenetic activation of hypocretin neurons stimulate similar behaviors early in life associated with later alcohol consumption. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3021. [PMID: 38321123 PMCID: PMC10847468 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52465-x] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The initiation of alcohol use early in life is one of the strongest predictors of developing a future alcohol use disorder. Clinical studies have identified specific behaviors during early childhood that predict an increased risk for excess alcohol consumption later in life. These behaviors, including increased hyperactivity, anxiety, novelty-seeking, exploratory behavior, impulsivity, and alcohol-seeking, are similarly stimulated in children and adolescent offspring of mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy. Here we tested larval zebrafish in addition to young pre-weanling rats and found this repertoire of early behaviors along with the overconsumption of alcohol during adolescence to be increased by embryonic ethanol exposure. With hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) neurons known to be stimulated by ethanol and involved in mediating these alcohol-related behaviors, we tested their function in larval zebrafish and found optogenetic activation of Hcrt neurons to stimulate these same early alcohol-related behaviors and later alcohol intake, suggesting that these neurons have an important role in producing these behaviors. Together, these results show zebrafish to be an especially useful animal model for investigating the diverse neuronal systems mediating behavioral changes at young ages that are produced by embryonic ethanol exposure and predict an increased risk for developing alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Collier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nushrat Yasmin
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Olga Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Abdul R Abdulai
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Boyi Yu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Milisia Fam
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Samantha Campbell
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Sarah F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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4
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Flores-Ramirez FJ, Illenberger JM, Pascasio GE, Matzeu A, Mason BJ, Martin-Fardon R. Alternative use of suvorexant (Belsomra ®) for the prevention of alcohol drinking and seeking in rats with a history of alcohol dependence. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1085882. [PMID: 36620860 PMCID: PMC9813433 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1085882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most treatment-resistant medical conditions globally. The orexin (Orx) system regulates diverse physiological processes, including stress, and is a system of interest for the development of pharmaceuticals to treat substance use disorders, particularly AUD. The present study tested the ability of the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant (SUV), marketed by Merck as Belsomra®, for the treatment of insomnia, to decrease alcohol self-administration and the stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior in male Wistar rats with a history of alcohol dependence. Rats were trained to orally self-administer 10% alcohol (30 min/day for 3 weeks) and were either made dependent via chronic intermittent alcohol vapor exposure (14 h ON, 10 h OFF) for 6 weeks or exposed to air (non-dependent). Starting on week 7, the effect of SUV (0-20 mg/kg, p.o.) was tested on alcohol self-administration at acute abstinence (8 h after vapor was turned OFF) twice weekly. A separate cohort of rats that were prepared in parallel was removed from alcohol vapor exposure and then subjected to extinction training for 14 sessions. Once extinction was achieved, the rats received SUV (0 and 5 mg/kg, p.o.) and were tested for the footshock stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior. Suvorexant at 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg selectively decreased alcohol intake in dependent rats. Furthermore, 5 mg/kg SUV prevented the stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior in dependent rats only. These results underscore the significance of targeting the Orx system for the treatment of substance use disorders generally and suggest that repurposing SUV could be an alternative approach for the treatment of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica M. Illenberger
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Glenn E. Pascasio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alessandra Matzeu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Barbara J. Mason
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Rémi Martin-Fardon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
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A Role for Neuropeptide S in Alcohol and Cocaine Seeking. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15070800. [PMID: 35890099 PMCID: PMC9317571 DOI: 10.3390/ph15070800] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide S (NPS) is the endogenous ligand of the NPS receptor (NPSR). The NPSR is widely expressed in brain regions that process emotional and affective behavior. NPS possesses a unique physio-pharmacological profile, being anxiolytic and promoting arousal at the same time. Intracerebroventricular NPS decreased alcohol consumption in alcohol-preferring rats with no effect in non-preferring control animals. This outcome is most probably linked to the anxiolytic properties of NPS, since alcohol preference is often associated with high levels of basal anxiety and intense stress-reactivity. In addition, NPSR mRNA was overexpressed during ethanol withdrawal and the anxiolytic-like effects of NPS were increased in rodents with a history of alcohol dependence. In line with these preclinical findings, a polymorphism of the NPSR gene was associated with anxiety traits contributing to alcohol use disorders in humans. NPS also potentiated the reinstatement of cocaine and ethanol seeking induced by drug-paired environmental stimuli and the blockade of NPSR reduced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Altogether, the work conducted so far indicates the NPS/NPSR system as a potential target to develop new treatments for alcohol and cocaine abuse. An NPSR agonist would be indicated to help individuals to quit alcohol consumption and to alleviate withdrawal syndrome, while NPSR antagonists would be indicated to prevent relapse to alcohol- and cocaine-seeking behavior.
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Gupta S, Mukhopadhyay S, Mitra A. Therapeutic potential of GHSR-1A antagonism in alcohol dependence, a review. Life Sci 2022; 291:120316. [PMID: 35016882 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120316] [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: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1A (GHSR-1A) is a functional receptor of orexigenic peptide ghrelin and is highly expressed in mesolimbic dopaminergic systems that regulate incentive value of artificial reward in substance abuse. Interestingly, GHSR-1A has also shown ligand-independent constitutive activity. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the growing concerns worldwide as it involves complex neuro-psycho-endocrinological interactions. Positive correlation of acylated ghrelin and alcohol-induced human brain response in the right and left ventral striatum are evident. In the last decade, the beneficial effects of ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1A) antagonism to suppress artificial reward circuitries and induce self-control for alcohol consumption have drawn significant attention from researchers. In this updated review, we summarize the available recent preclinical, clinical, and experimental data to discuss functional, molecular actions of central ghrelin-GHSR-1A signaling in different craving levels for alcohol as well as to promote "GHSR-1A antagonism" as one of the potential therapies in early abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyasi Gupta
- Department of Zoology, Triveni Devi Bhalotia College, Raniganj, Paschim Bardhaman 713 347, West Bengal, India
| | - Sanchari Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Arkadeep Mitra
- Department of Zoology, City College, 102/1, Raja Rammohan Sarani, Kolkata 700 009, West Bengal, India.
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Campbell EJ, Hill MK, Maddern XJ, Jin S, Pang TY, Lawrence AJ. Orexin-1 receptor signaling within the lateral hypothalamus, but not bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, mediates context-induced relapse to alcohol seeking. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:1261-1270. [PMID: 33063594 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120959638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lateral hypothalamic orexin (hypocretin) system has a well-established role in the motivation for reward. This has particular relevance to substance use disorders since orexin-1 receptors play a critical role in alcohol-seeking behavior, acting at multiple nodes in relapse-associated networks. AIMS This study aimed to further our understanding of the role of orexin-1 receptor signaling within the lateral hypothalamus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, specifically in context-induced relapse to alcohol-seeking following punishment-imposed abstinence. METHODS We trained inbred male alcohol-preferring rats to self-administer alcohol in one environment or context (Context A) and subsequently punished their alcohol-reinforced lever presses in a different environment (Context B) using contingent foot shock punishment. Finally, we tested rats for relapse-like behavior in either context following systemic, intra-lateral hypothalamus or intra-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis orexin-1 receptor antagonism with SB-334867. RESULTS/OUTCOMES We found that systemic orexin-1 receptor antagonism significantly reduced alcohol-seeking in both contexts. Intra-lateral hypothalamus orexin-1 receptor antagonism significantly reduced alcohol-seeking in Context A whereas intra-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis orexin-1 receptor antagonism had no effect on alcohol-seeking behavior. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Our results suggest a role for the orexin-1 receptor system in context-induced relapse to alcohol-seeking. Specifically, intra-lateral hypothalamus orexin microcircuits contribute to alcohol-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Campbell
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Mitchell Kri Hill
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Xavier J Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Shubo Jin
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
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8
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Amodeo LR, Liu W, Wills DN, Vetreno RP, Crews FT, Ehlers CL. Adolescent alcohol exposure increases orexin-A/hypocretin-1 in the anterior hypothalamus. Alcohol 2020; 88:65-72. [PMID: 32619610 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of marked changes in sleep, neuromaturation, and alcohol use. While there is substantial evidence that alcohol disrupts sleep and that disrupted sleep may play a role in the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD), there is very little known about the brain mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The orexin (also known as hypocretin) system is fundamental for a number of homeostatic mechanisms, including the initiation and maintenance of wakefulness that may be impacted by adolescent alcohol exposure. The current study investigated the impact of adolescent ethanol exposure on adult orexin-A/hypocretin-1 immunoreactive (orexin-A + IR) cells in hypothalamic nuclei in two models of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure. Both models assess adult hypothalamic orexin following either an AIE vapor exposure paradigm, or an AIE intragastric gavage paradigm during adolescence. Both AIE exposure models found that binge levels of ethanol intoxication during adolescence significantly increased adult orexin-A + IR expression in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN). Further, both AIE models found no change in orexin-A + IR in the posterior hypothalamic area (PH), perifornical nucleus (PeF), dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus dorsal part (DMD) or lateral hypothalamic area (LH). However, AIE vapor exposure reduced orexin-A + IR in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), but AIE gavage exposure did not. These findings suggest that the AHN orexinergic system is increased in adults following binge-like patterns of intoxication during adolescence. Altered adult AHN orexin could contribute to long-lasting changes in sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie R Amodeo
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, 92407, United States
| | - Wen Liu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States
| | - Derek N Wills
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Ryan P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States
| | - Fulton T Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States
| | - Cindy L Ehlers
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States.
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Flores-Bastías O, Gómez GI, Orellana JA, Karahanian E. Activation of Melanocortin-4 Receptor by a Synthetic Agonist Inhibits Ethanolinduced Neuroinflammation in Rats. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 25:4799-4805. [PMID: 31840601 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666191216145153] [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: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High ethanol intake induces a neuroinflammatory response resulting in the subsequent maintenance of chronic alcohol consumption. The melanocortin system plays a pivotal role in the modulation of alcohol consumption. Interestingly, it has been shown that the activation of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in the brain decreases the neuroinflammatory response in models of brain damage other than alcohol consumption, such as LPS-induced neuroinflammation, cerebral ischemia, glutamate excitotoxicity, and spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVES In this work, we aimed to study whether MC4R activation by a synthetic MC4R-agonist peptide prevents ethanol-induced neuroinflammation, and if alcohol consumption produces changes in MC4R expression in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. METHODS Ethanol-preferring Sprague Dawley rats were selected offering access to 20% ethanol on alternate days for 4 weeks (intermittent access protocol). After this time, animals were i.p. administered an MC4R agonist peptide in the last 2 days of the protocol. Then, the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex. It was also evaluated if ethanol intake produces alterations in the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. RESULTS Alcohol consumption increased the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. The administration of the MC4R agonist reduced IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in hippocampus, hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex, to those observed in control rats that did not drink alcohol. CONCLUSION High ethanol consumption produces an increase in the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. The administration of a synthetic MC4R-agonist peptide prevents neuroinflammation induced by alcohol consumption in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex. These results could explain the effect of α-MSH and other synthetic MC4R agonists in decreasing alcohol intake through the reduction of the ethanol-induced inflammatory response in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo Flores-Bastías
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo I Gómez
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A Orellana
- Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Karahanian
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Santiago, Chile
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Nolli LM, de Oliveira DGR, Alves SS, von Zuben MV, Pic-Taylor A, Mortari MR, Caldas ED. Effects of the hallucinogenic beverage ayahuasca on voluntary ethanol intake by rats and on cFos expression in brain areas relevant to drug addiction. Alcohol 2020; 84:67-75. [PMID: 31698029 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic infusion used in religious rituals that has serotoninergic properties and may be a potential therapeutic option for drug addiction. In this study, Wistar rats had intermittent access to ethanol for 8 weeks, receiving water (control), naltrexone (NTX, 2 mg/kg body weight [bw] intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or ayahuasca (Aya) at 0.5x, 1x, or 2x the ritual dose in the final 5 days. A naïve group had access only to water. Ethanol intake was estimated throughout the experiment, and cFos expression was evaluated in medial orbital cortex (MO), ventral orbital cortex (VO), lateral orbital cortex (LO), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and striatum. Treatment with either NTX or Aya (oral) did not decrease ethanol intake compared to the baseline level (5th to 7th week), but the NTX group intake was significantly lower than controls (p < 0.05). Ethanol significantly increased cFos expression in the MO region for control (p < 0.0001), NTX (p < 0.05), Aya1 (p < 0.001), and Aya2 (p < 0.0001) groups. This increase was also observed in the VO for the Aya1 group (p = 0.035), in the LO for the Aya2 group (p < 0.01), and in NAc for NTX and ayahuasca groups (p < 0.005). Furthermore, NTX and Aya0.5 treatment decreased cFos expression compared to controls in the MO region (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), but only the ayahuasca group reached levels not significantly different from the naïve group. Studies using other protocols and dose regime are necessary to better investigate the impact of ayahuasca on alcohol intake by rats to support the observations in humans. Additionally, the role of ayahuasca in mediating cFos expression in other selected brain regions and its relationship with the serotoninergic/dopaminergic systems and drug addiction need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Marangni Nolli
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Danilo Gustavo Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Stefany Sousa Alves
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | | | - Aline Pic-Taylor
- Laboratory of Embryology and Developmental Biology, Department of Genetics and Morphology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Marcia Renata Mortari
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Eloisa Dutra Caldas
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
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Farokhnia M, Portelli J, Lee MR, McDiarmid GR, Munjal V, Abshire KM, Battista JT, Browning BD, Deschaine SL, Akhlaghi F, Leggio L. Effects of exogenous ghrelin administration and ghrelin receptor blockade, in combination with alcohol, on peripheral inflammatory markers in heavy-drinking individuals: Results from two human laboratory studies. Brain Res 2020; 1740:146851. [PMID: 32339499 PMCID: PMC8715722 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146851] [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: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ghrelin system has been garnering interest for its role in different neuropsychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Accordingly, targeting the ghrelin system is under investigation as a potential novel therapeutic approach. While alcohol provokes the immune system and inflammatory responses, ghrelin has potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to shed light on the "crosstalk" between ghrelin and inflammation by examining the effects of exogenous ghrelin administration and ghrelin receptor blockade on peripheral inflammatory markers in the context of two human laboratory studies with alcohol administration. Non-treatment-seeking, heavy-drinking individuals with alcohol dependence, the majority of whom were African American males, were enrolled. In the first randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled human laboratory study, participants underwent two experimental paradigms - an intravenous alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) and an intravenous alcohol clamp (IV-AC) - each consisting of two counterbalanced sessions (ghrelin, placebo). A loading dose of intravenous ghrelin (3 mcg/kg) or placebo, followed by a continuous ghrelin (16.9 ng/kg/min) or placebo infusion was administered. In the second dose-escalating, single-blind, placebo-controlled human laboratory phase 1b study, participants were dosed with an oral ghrelin receptor blocker (PF-5190457) and underwent an oral alcohol challenge. Repeated blood samples were collected, and plasma concentrations of the following inflammatory markers were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). During the IV-ASA experiment, significant drug × time interaction effects were observed for IL-6 (F3,36 = 3.345, p = 0.030) and IL-10 (F3,53.2 = 4.638, p = 0.006), indicating that ghrelin, compared to placebo, significantly reduced blood concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, while increasing blood concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. No significant drug × time interaction effects were observed during the IV-AC experiment, possibly because of its much shorter duration and/or smaller sample. Treatment with PF-5190457, compared to placebo, had no significant effect on the inflammatory markers investigated. In conclusion, a supraphysiologic pharmacological challenge with exogenous ghrelin in heavy-drinking individuals produced anti-inflammatory effects in the context of intravenous alcohol administration. On the contrary, ghrelin receptor blockade did not lead to any change in the inflammatory markers included in this study. Mechanistic studies are required to better understand the interaction between ghrelin, alcohol, and inflammatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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 and 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
| | - 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 and 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 and Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Gray R McDiarmid
- 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 and Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vikas Munjal
- 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 and Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kelly M Abshire
- 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 and 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 and Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brittney D Browning
- 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 and Bethesda, 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 and Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Fatemeh Akhlaghi
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 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 and 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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12
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Flores-Bastías O, Adriasola-Carrasco A, Karahanian E. Activation of Melanocortin-4 Receptor Inhibits Both Neuroinflammation Induced by Early Exposure to Ethanol and Subsequent Voluntary Alcohol Intake in Adulthood in Animal Models: Is BDNF the Key Mediator? Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:5. [PMID: 32063838 PMCID: PMC6997842 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept that neuroinflammation induced by excessive alcohol intake in adolescence triggers brain mechanisms that perpetuate consumption has strengthened in recent years. The melanocortin system, composed of the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) and its ligand α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), has been implicated both in modulation of alcohol consumption and in ethanol-induced neuroinflammation decrease. Chronic alcohol consumption in adolescent rats causes a decrease in an α-MSH release by the hypothalamus, while the administration of synthetic agonists of MC4R causes a decrease in neuroinflammation and a decrease in voluntary alcohol consumption. However, the mechanism that connects the activation of MC4R with the decrease of both neuroinflammation and voluntary alcohol consumption has not been elucidated. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in alcohol drinking motivation, dependence and withdrawal, and its levels are reduced in alcoholics. Deficiencies in BDNF levels increased ethanol self-administration in rats. Further, BDNF triggers important anti-inflammatory effects in the brain, and this could be one of the mechanisms by which BDNF reduces chronic alcohol intake. Interestingly, MC4R signaling induces BDNF expression through the activation of the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB). We hypothesize that ethanol exposure during adolescence decreases the expression of α-MSH and hence MC4R signaling in the hippocampus, leading to a lower BDNF activity that causes dramatic changes in the brain (e.g., neuroinflammation and decreased neurogenesis) that predispose to maintain alcohol abuse until adulthood. The activation of MC4R either by α-MSH or by synthetic agonist peptides can induce the expression of BDNF, which would trigger several processes that lead to lower alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo Flores-Bastías
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alfredo Adriasola-Carrasco
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Karahanian
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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13
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Koopmann A, Bach P, Schuster R, Bumb JM, Vollstädt-Klein S, Reinhard I, Rietschel M, Witt SH, Wiedemann K, Kiefer F. Ghrelin modulates mesolimbic reactivity to alcohol cues in alcohol-addicted subjects: a functional imaging study. Addict Biol 2019; 24:1066-1076. [PMID: 29984874 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Ghrelin has been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence, affecting alcohol self-administration and craving. However, the mechanism of action in alcohol dependence still has to be determined. We thus investigated whether ghrelin is associated with mesolimbic cue reactivity to alcohol cues and alcohol craving in recently detoxified alcohol-addicted subjects. We included 41 recently detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study mesolimbic cue reactivity during the presentation of alcohol-related pictures. Additionally, we assessed patients' alcohol craving using the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire and a visual analogue scale. Plasma concentrations of total and acylated (activated) ghrelin were measured in parallel to the fMRI session. The association between ghrelin plasma concentrations, mesolimbic cue reactivity and alcohol craving was assessed by performing correlation and mediation analyses. Alcohol-induced brain response in a network of brain clusters, including the right and left ventral striatum, showed a significant positive association with acylated ghrelin plasma concentration. Additionally, acylated ghrelin was significantly associated with craving. Mediation analyses showed that the association between acylated ghrelin plasma concentration and alcohol craving is mediated by a cue-induced brain response in the ventral striatum. Based on the finding that ghrelin modulates mesolimbic reactivity to alcohol cues, the following should be considered: If alcohol craving and the appetitive status were interrelated, this has to be taken into account when implementing fMRI studies for addictive disorders. Moreover, appetite regulation seems to represent a valid treatment target for reducing cue reactivity in addictive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Koopmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - Rilana Schuster
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - Jan Malte Bumb
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy; University Medical Center; Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine; Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University; Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS); University of Heidelberg; Germany
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14
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Farokhnia M, Faulkner ML, Piacentino D, Lee MR, Leggio L. Ghrelin: From a gut hormone to a potential therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder. Physiol Behav 2019; 204:49-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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15
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Geisel O, Hellweg R, Wernecke KD, Wiedemann K, Müller CA. Total and acylated ghrelin plasma levels as potential long-term response markers in alcohol-dependent patients receiving high-dose of the GABA-B receptor agonist baclofen. Psychiatry Res 2019; 272:431-437. [PMID: 30611960 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The orexigenic hormone ghrelin is involved in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Previous findings suggest its involvement in the modulation of mesolimbic reward pathways, thus potentially being relevant in the pathophysiology of substance use disorders such as alcohol dependence. In the present study, we assessed plasma levels of total and acylated ghrelin within the BACLAD trial, where alcohol-dependent patients received individually titrated high-dose baclofen (30-270 mg/d) within a randomized, placebo-controlled design. Plasma levels of total ghrelin and acylated ghrelin were measured at baseline, during treatment with individually titrated high-dose baclofen and after termination of the study medication within a timeframe of up to 20 weeks. Multivariate longitudinal non-parametric analysis revealed that plasma levels of total ghrelin significantly decreased in the group of abstinent patients receiving high-dose baclofen. In addition, plasma levels of total ghrelin correlated negatively with days of abstinence during treatment with high-dose baclofen. Plasma levels of acylated ghrelin increased during the study in the group of relapsed patients under baclofen and placebo treatment. These findings suggest that the long-term response to baclofen treatment in alcohol use disorder (AUD) might be monitored by assessing total and acylated ghrelin plasma levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Geisel
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Rainer Hellweg
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian A Müller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Millón C, Flores-Burgess A, Castilla-Ortega E, Gago B, García-Fernandez M, Serrano A, Rodriguez de Fonseca F, Narváez JA, Fuxe K, Santín L, Díaz-Cabiale Z. Central administration of galanin N-terminal fragment 1-15 decreases the voluntary alcohol intake in rats. Addict Biol 2019; 24:76-87. [PMID: 29210146 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12582] [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: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is considered a major risk factor for disease and mortality worldwide. In the absence of effective treatments in alcohol use disorders, it is important to find new biological targets that could modulate alcohol consumption. We tested the role of the N-terminal galanin fragment (1-15) [GAL(1-15)] in voluntary ethanol consumption in rats using the two-bottle choice paradigm as well as compare the effects of GAL(1-15) with the whole molecule of GAL. We describe for the first time that GAL(1-15), via central mechanisms, induces a strong reduction in preference and ethanol consumption in rats. These effects were significantly different than GAL. GAL receptor (GALR) 2 was involved in these effects, because the specific GALR2 antagonist M871 blocked GAL(1-15) mediated actions in preference and ethanol intake. Importantly, the mechanism of this action involves changes in GALR expression and also in immediate-early gene C-Fos and receptors-internalization-related gene Rab5 in the striatum. The relevance of the striatum as a target for GAL(1-15) was supported by the effect of GAL(1-15) on the locomotor activity of rats after ethanol administration. These results may give the basis for the development of novel therapeutics strategies using GAL(1-15) analogues for the treatment of alcohol use disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Millón
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - Antonio Flores-Burgess
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - Estela Castilla-Ortega
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga; Spain
| | - Belén Gago
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - María García-Fernandez
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - Antonia Serrano
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga; Spain
| | - Fernando Rodriguez de Fonseca
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga; Spain
| | - José Angel Narváez
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - Kjell Fuxe
- Department of Neuroscience; Karolinska Institute; Sweden
| | - Luis Santín
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Psicología; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
| | - Zaida Díaz-Cabiale
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga; Universidad de Málaga; Spain
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17
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Intermittent voluntary ethanol consumption combined with ethanol vapor exposure during adolescence increases drinking and alters other behaviors in adulthood in female and male rats. Alcohol 2018; 73:57-66. [PMID: 30293056 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies suggest that binge drinking is prevalent among adolescents, and may result in neurobehavioral consequences. Animal models provide the experimental control to investigate the consequences of "binge" alcohol exposure during this neurodevelopmental epoch. The current study used an animal model that combined an intermittent pattern of alcohol vapor exposure with voluntary drinking of 20% unsweetened alcohol in adolescent male and female Wistar rats (postnatal day [PD] 22-62), in order to test for potential differences in behavioral changes, ethanol drinking, and hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt/OX) signaling associated with exposure status. Two weeks after discontinuation of the alcohol vapor exposure and drinking during adolescence, rats were tested in adulthood for anxiety-like behaviors using a modified open-field conflict task, pre-pulse facilitation of startle response, light/dark box, and marble burying test. Adolescent alcohol exposure led to overall decreased startle response and increased behavioral arousal in the light/dark chamber during adulthood. Additionally, male rats demonstrated more disinhibited behavior during the conflict task compared to females, and female rats exhibited more rearing behavior during the light/dark test. Rats were also given a 2-bottle choice test that resulted in adolescent alcohol-exposed rats drinking significantly more alcohol in adulthood. Further, female rats also consumed more alcohol in adulthood compared to males. Estrous cycle phase did not account for any of the sex differences observed in the behavioral measures. Histological results indicated that adolescent alcohol did not alter Hcrt/OX-1 or Hcrt/OX-2 receptor mRNA expression levels in adult rats compared to control adults. However, female rats expressed a higher level of Hcrt/OX-1 and Hcrt/OX-2 receptor mRNA in the frontal cortex compared to males. These data suggest that our current model of intermittent ethanol exposure in adolescence can modestly affect both behavior and future consumption of alcohol and that Hcrt/OX receptor signaling differs between males and females.
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18
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Bernstein DL, Badve PS, Barson JR, Bass CE, España RA. Hypocretin receptor 1 knockdown in the ventral tegmental area attenuates mesolimbic dopamine signaling and reduces motivation for cocaine. Addict Biol 2018; 23:1032-1045. [PMID: 28971565 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The hypocretin receptor 1 (HCRTr1) is a critical participant in the regulation of motivated behavior. Previous observations demonstrate that acute pharmacological blockade of HCRTr1 disrupts dopamine (DA) signaling and the motivation for cocaine when delivered systemically or directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA). To further examine the involvement of HCRTr1 in regulating reward and reinforcement processing, we employed an adeno-associated virus to express a short hairpin RNA designed to knock down HCRTr1. We injected virus into the VTA and examined the effects of HCRTr1 knockdown on cocaine self-administration and DA signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. We determined that the viral approach was effective at reducing HCRTr1 expression without affecting the expression of hypocretin receptor 2 or DA-related mRNAs. We next examined the effects of HCRTr1 knockdown on cocaine self-administration, observing delayed acquisition under a fixed-ratio schedule and reduced motivation for cocaine under a progressive ratio schedule. These effects did not appear to be associated with alterations in sleep/wake activity. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we then examined whether HCRTr1 knockdown alters DA signaling dynamics in the NAc core. We observed reduced DA release and slower uptake rate as well as attenuated cocaine-induced DA uptake inhibition in rats with knockdown of HCRTr1. These observations indicate that HCRTr1 within the VTA influence the motivation for cocaine, likely via alterations in DA signaling in the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Bernstein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Drexel University College of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Preeti S. Badve
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Drexel University College of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Jessica R. Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Drexel University College of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Caroline E. Bass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine; State University of New York at Buffalo; Buffalo NY USA
| | - Rodrigo A. España
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Drexel University College of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
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19
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Mendoza-Ruiz LG, Vázquez-León P, Martínez-Mota L, Juan ERS, Miranda-Páez A. Forced ethanol ingestion by Wistar rats from a juvenile age increased voluntary alcohol consumption in adulthood, with the involvement of orexin-A. Alcohol 2018; 70:73-80. [PMID: 29803804 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Human adolescents who drink alcohol are more likely to become alcoholics in adulthood. Alcohol administration (intraperitoneally) or drinking (in a 2-bottle free choice paradigm) during the juvenile/adolescent age of rats promotes voluntary alcohol consumption in adulthood. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that the orexinergic system plays a role in several rewarded behaviors, including alcohol ingestion. Since it is unknown what effect is exerted in adulthood by forced oral ethanol intake and/or administration of orexin-A (OX-A) in juvenile rats, the present study aimed to evaluate this question. A group of male Wistar rats was forced to drink ethanol (10% v/v) as the only liquid in the diet from weaning (postnatal day 21) to postnatal day 67 (46 days), followed by a forced withdrawal period. An age-matched group was raised drinking tap water (control). OX-A or its vehicle was microinjected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) (1 nmol/0.6 μL) to explore its effect as well. Locomotor activity and voluntary ethanol consumption were later assessed in all groups. The rats forced to consume ethanol early in life showed an elevated level of ambulation and alcohol ingestion in adulthood. A single injection of OX-A increased locomotor activity and acute ethanol intake in rats with or without prior exposure to alcohol at the juvenile stage. In conclusion, forced ethanol consumption in juvenile rats led to increased voluntary alcohol drinking behavior during adulthood, an effect likely facilitated by OX-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis-Gabriel Mendoza-Ruiz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Wilfrido Massieu esq. Manuel Stampa s/n, Col. Nueva Industrial Vallejo, CP: 07738, Deleg. Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Priscila Vázquez-León
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Wilfrido Massieu esq. Manuel Stampa s/n, Col. Nueva Industrial Vallejo, CP: 07738, Deleg. Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lucía Martínez-Mota
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Conductual, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco 101, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, CP: 14370, Deleg. Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Ramírez San Juan
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Wilfrido Massieu esq. Manuel Stampa s/n, Col. Nueva Industrial Vallejo, CP: 07738, Deleg. Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abraham Miranda-Páez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Wilfrido Massieu esq. Manuel Stampa s/n, Col. Nueva Industrial Vallejo, CP: 07738, Deleg. Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico.
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20
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Wang C, Wang Q, Ji B, Pan Y, Xu C, Cheng B, Bai B, Chen J. The Orexin/Receptor System: Molecular Mechanism and Therapeutic Potential for Neurological Diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:220. [PMID: 30002617 PMCID: PMC6031739 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Orexins, also known as hypocretins, are two neuropeptides secreted from orexin-containing neurons, mainly in the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Orexins orchestrate their effects by binding and activating two G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), orexin receptor type 1 (OX1R) and type 2 (OX2R). Orexin/receptor pathways play vital regulatory roles in many physiological processes, especially feeding behavior, sleep–wake rhythm, reward and addiction and energy balance. Furthermore several reports showed that orexin/receptor pathways are involved in pathological processes of neurological diseases such as narcolepsy, depression, ischemic stroke, drug addiction and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review article summarizes the expression patterns, physiological functions and potential molecular mechanisms of the orexin/receptor system in neurological diseases, providing an overall framework for considering these pathways from the standpoints of basic research and clinical treatment of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Wang
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Qinqin Wang
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Bingyuan Ji
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yanyou Pan
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Chao Xu
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Baohua Cheng
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Bo Bai
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Neurobiology Key Laboratory of Jining Medical University in Colleges of Shandong, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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Moorman DE. The hypocretin/orexin system as a target for excessive motivation in alcohol use disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1663-1680. [PMID: 29508004 PMCID: PMC5949267 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4871-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The hypocretin/orexin (ORX) system has been repeatedly demonstrated to regulate motivation for drugs of abuse, including alcohol. In particular, ORX seems to be critically involved in highly motivated behaviors, as is observed in high-seeking individuals in a population, in the seeking of highly palatable substances, and in models of dependence. It seems logical that this system could be considered as a potential target for treatment for addiction, particularly alcohol addiction, as ORX pharmacological manipulations significantly reduce drinking. However, the ORX system also plays a role in a wide range of other behaviors, emotions, and physiological functions and is disrupted in a number of non-dependence-associated disorders. It is therefore important to consider how the ORX system might be optimally targeted for potential treatment for alcohol use disorders either in combination with or separate from its role in other functions or diseases. This review will focus on the role of ORX in alcohol-associated behaviors and whether and how this system could be targeted to treat alcohol use disorders while avoiding impacts on other ORX-relevant functions. A brief overview of the ORX system will be followed by a discussion of some of the factors that makes it particularly intriguing as a target for alcohol addiction treatment, a consideration of some potential challenges associated with targeting this system and, finally, some future directions to optimize new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 528 Tobin Hall, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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22
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Koopmann A, Schuster R, Kiefer F. The impact of the appetite-regulating, orexigenic peptide ghrelin on alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical data. Biol Psychol 2018; 131:14-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Anderson RI, Moorman DE, Becker HC. Contribution of Dynorphin and Orexin Neuropeptide Systems to the Motivational Effects of Alcohol. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018. [PMID: 29526023 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neural systems that drive alcohol motivation and are disrupted in alcohol use disorders is of critical importance in developing novel treatments. The dynorphin and orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide systems are particularly relevant with respect to alcohol use and misuse. Both systems are strongly associated with alcohol-seeking behaviors, particularly in cases of high levels of alcohol use as seen in dependence. Furthermore, both systems also play a role in stress and anxiety, indicating that disruption of these systems may underlie long-term homeostatic dysregulation seen in alcohol use disorders. These systems are also closely interrelated with one another - dynorphin/kappa opioid receptors and orexin/hypocretin receptors are found in similar regions and hypocretin/orexin neurons also express dynorphin - suggesting that these two systems may work together in the regulation of alcohol seeking and may be mutually disrupted in alcohol use disorders. This chapter reviews studies demonstrating a role for each of these systems in motivated behavior, with a focus on their roles in regulating alcohol-seeking and self-administration behaviors. Consideration is also given to evidence indicating that these neuropeptide systems may be viable targets for the development of potential treatments for alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Science and Technology Policy Fellowships, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David E Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Department of Veterans Affairs, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
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24
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Barajaz AM, Kliethermes CL. An assessment of the utilization of the preclinical rodent model literature in clinical trials of putative therapeutics for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 181:77-84. [PMID: 29035708 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rodent models of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are used extensively by preclinical researchers to develop new therapeutics for the treatment of AUD. Although these models play an important role in the development of novel, targeted therapeutics, their role in bringing therapeutics to clinical trials is unclear, as off-label use of existing medications not approved for the treatment of AUD is commonly seen in the clinic and clinical trials. METHOD In the current study, we used the Clinicaltrials.gov database to obtain a list of drugs that have been tested for efficacy in a clinical trial between 1997 and 2017. We then conducted a set of literature searches to determine which of the 98 unique drugs we identified had shown efficacy in a rodent model of an AUD prior to being tested in a clinical trial. RESULTS We found that slightly less than half of the drugs tested in clinical trials (48%) had shown prior efficacy in any rodent model of an AUD, while the remaining 52% of drugs were used off-label, or in some cases, following non-published studies. CONCLUSION This study raises the question of how clinical researchers incorporate results from preclinical studies in the decision to bring a drug to a clinical trial. Our results underscore the need for ongoing communication among preclinical and clinical researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Barajaz
- Drake University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, 1344 27th Street, Des Moines, IA 50311, United States
| | - Christopher L Kliethermes
- Drake University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, 1344 27th Street, Des Moines, IA 50311, United States.
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25
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Koopmann A, Lippmann K, Schuster R, Reinhard I, Bach P, Weil G, Rietschel M, Witt SH, Wiedemann K, Kiefer F. Drinking water to reduce alcohol craving? A randomized controlled study on the impact of ghrelin in mediating the effects of forced water intake in alcohol addiction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 85:56-62. [PMID: 28822300 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent data suggest that ghrelin is involved in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorders, affecting alcohol self-administration and craving. Gastric ghrelin secretion is reduced by stomach distension. We now tested the hypothesis whether the clinically well-known effects of high-volume water intake on craving reduction in alcoholism is mediated by acute changes in ghrelin secretion. METHODS In this randomized human laboratory study, we included 23 alcohol-dependent male inpatient subjects who underwent alcohol cue exposure. Participants of the intervention group drank 1000ml of mineral water within 10min directly thereafter, compared to the participants of the control group who did not. Craving and plasma concentrations of acetylated ghrelin were measured ten times during the 120min following the alcohol cue exposure session. RESULTS In the intervention group, a significant decrease in acetylated ghrelin in plasma compared to the control group was observed. This decrease was correlated to a reduction in patients' subjective level of craving. In the control group, no decrease of acetylated ghrelin in plasma and no association between alcohol craving and changes in plasma concentrations of acetylated ghrelin were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results present new evidence that the modulation in the ghrelin system by oral water intake mediates the effects of volume intake with craving reduction in alcohol use disorders. Hence, in addition to pharmacological interventions with ghrelin antagonists, the reduction of physiological ghrelin secretion might be a target for future interventions in the treatment of alcohol craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Koopmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany; Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Katharina Lippmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Rilana Schuster
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany; Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany; Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg Weil
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Hamburg, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany; Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Germany
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26
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Zallar LJ, Farokhnia M, Tunstall BJ, Vendruscolo LF, Leggio L. The Role of the Ghrelin System in Drug Addiction. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 136:89-119. [PMID: 29056157 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the past years, a significant volume of research has implicated the appetitive hormone ghrelin in the mechanisms underlying drug use and addiction. From a neuroscientific standpoint, ghrelin modulates both reward and stress pathways, two key drivers of substance use behaviors. Previous investigations support a connection between the ghrelin system and alcohol, stimulants, and tobacco use in both animals and humans, while the research on opioids and cannabis is scarce. In general, upregulation of the ghrelin system seems to enhance craving for drugs as well as substances use. On the other hand, acute and chronic exposure to drugs of abuse influences the ghrelin system at different levels. This chapter summarizes the literature on the relationship between the ghrelin system and substance-related behaviors. We also review recent work investigating the ghrelin system as a potential pharmacological target for treating substance use disorders and discuss the need for additional research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia J Zallar
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mehdi Farokhnia
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brendan J Tunstall
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Leandro F Vendruscolo
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
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27
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Abstract
Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and drug taking despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse and addiction have major social and economic consequences and cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently available therapeutics are inadequate, outlining the need for alternative treatments. Detailed knowledge of the neurocircuitry and brain chemistry responsible for aberrant behavior patterns should enable the development of novel pharmacotherapies to treat addiction. Therefore it is important to expand our knowledge and understanding of the neural pathways and mechanisms involved in alcohol seeking and abuse. The orexin (hypocretin) neuropeptide system is an attractive target, given the recent FDA and PMDA approval of suvorexant for the treatment of insomnia. Orexin is synthesized exclusively in neurons located in the lateral (LH), perifornical (PEF), and dorsal medial (DMH) hypothalamus. These neurons project widely throughout the neuraxis with regulatory roles in a wide range of behavioral and physiological responses, including sleep-wake cycle neuroendocrine regulation, anxiety, feeding behavior, and reward seeking. Here we summarize the literature to date, which have evaluated the interplay between alcohol and the orexin system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh C Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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28
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Barson JR, Leibowitz SF. Orexin/Hypocretin System: Role in Food and Drug Overconsumption. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 136:199-237. [PMID: 29056152 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide orexin/hypocretin (OX), while largely transcribed within the hypothalamus, is released throughout the brain to affect complex behaviors. Primarily through the hypothalamus itself, OX homeostatically regulates adaptive behaviors needed for survival, including food intake, sleep-wake regulation, mating, and maternal behavior. However, through extrahypothalamic limbic brain regions, OX promotes seeking and intake of rewarding substances of abuse, like palatable food, alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine. This neuropeptide, in turn, is stimulated by the intake of or early life exposure to these substances, forming a nonhomeostatic, positive feedback loop. The specific OX receptor involved in these behaviors, whether adaptive behavior or substance seeking and intake, is dependent on the particular brain region that contributes to them. Thus, we propose that, while the primary function of OX is to maintain arousal for the performance of adaptive behaviors, this neuropeptide system is readily co-opted by rewarding substances that involve positive feedback, ultimately promoting their abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Barson
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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29
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Orellana JA, Cerpa W, Carvajal MF, Lerma-Cabrera JM, Karahanian E, Osorio-Fuentealba C, Quintanilla RA. New Implications for the Melanocortin System in Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents: The Glial Dysfunction Hypothesis. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:90. [PMID: 28424592 PMCID: PMC5380733 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol dependence causes physical, social, and moral harms and currently represents an important public health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcoholism is the third leading cause of death worldwide, after tobacco consumption and hypertension. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown a growing trend in alcohol abuse among adolescents, characterized by the consumption of large doses of alcohol over a short time period. Since brain development is an ongoing process during adolescence, short- and long-term brain damage associated with drinking behavior could lead to serious consequences for health and wellbeing. Accumulating evidence indicates that alcohol impairs the function of different components of the melanocortin system, a major player involved in the consolidation of addictive behaviors during adolescence and adulthood. Here, we hypothesize the possible implications of melanocortins and glial cells in the onset and progression of alcohol addiction. In particular, we propose that alcohol-induced decrease in α-MSH levels may trigger a cascade of glial inflammatory pathways that culminate in altered gliotransmission in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (NAc). The latter might potentiate dopaminergic drive in the NAc, contributing to increase the vulnerability to alcohol dependence and addiction in the adolescence and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Orellana
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Waldo Cerpa
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Función y Patología Neuronal, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Maria F Carvajal
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Unidad de Neurociencia, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - José M Lerma-Cabrera
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Unidad de Neurociencia, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Karahanian
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Unidad de Neurociencia, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Cesar Osorio-Fuentealba
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Facultad de Kinesiología, Artes y Educación Física, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la EducaciónSantiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en AdolescentesSantiago, Chile.,Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
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Porter-Stransky KA, Bentzley BS, Aston-Jones G. Individual differences in orexin-I receptor modulation of motivation for the opioid remifentanil. Addict Biol 2017; 22:303-317. [PMID: 26598295 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Orexin-1 receptors (Ox1Rs) have been implicated in the motivation for drugs of abuse. Here, we utilized a within-session behavioral-economics threshold procedure to screen for individual differences in economic demand for the ultra-short-acting opioid remifentanil and to test whether antagonism of Ox1Rs reduces remifentanil demand. The behavioral-economics procedure revealed robust individual differences in free consumption of remifentanil (Q0 parameter; hedonic set point). Rats with low baseline Q0 (low takers) displayed high demand elasticity (α parameter; reduced responding as drug price increased indicating low motivation for drug), whereas subjects with a higher Q0 (high takers) exhibit low demand elasticity (low α) by continuing to self-administer remifentanil despite increased cost (reflecting higher motivation for drug). In a punished responding paradigm utilizing footshock, subjects that were classified as high takers at baseline withstood twice as much shock as low takers to continue self-administering remifentanil. Interestingly, Ox1R antagonism with SB-334867 reduced Q0 and increased α in low takers but not in high takers. Similarly, the Ox1R antagonist attenuated cue-induced, but not drug-induced, reinstatement of remifentanil seeking in low takers but had no significant effect on reinstatement of drug seeking in high takers. Together, these data reveal a novel role of orexins in demand for remifentanil: Ox1Rs modulate demand in low takers but not in individuals that exhibit addictive-like behaviors (high takers). Finally, the behavioral assays in this study can serve as a novel laboratory model for studying individual differences in opioid use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon S. Bentzley
- Department of Neurosciences; Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Department of Neurosciences; Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
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31
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Olney JJ, Navarro M, Thiele TE. The Role of Orexin Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area and Central Amygdala in Modulating Binge-Like Ethanol Drinking Behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:551-561. [PMID: 28097729 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent reports have demonstrated that binge-like ethanol (EtOH) drinking leads to an increase in hypothalamic orexin (OX) signaling and that suppressing this signaling via systemic administration of an orexin receptor (OXR) antagonist blocks this behavior; however, the specific OX pathways that modulate this behavior remain unknown. The goal of this study was to further elucidate the role of the OX system in binge-like EtOH drinking using behavioral, molecular, and pharmacological techniques. METHODS The drinking-in-the-dark (DID) paradigm was used to model binge-like drinking behavior in male C57BL/6J mice. Experiment 1 examined changes in the OX precursor, prepro-orexin, within the hypothalamus following multiple cycle EtOH or sucrose DID using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. In experiments 2a and 2b, we used site-directed infusion of an OXR antagonist to examine the individual contribution of each OXR subtype within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), respectively, in binge-like EtOH or sucrose drinking. RESULTS Findings from our PCR study revealed that multiple cycles of binge-like EtOH drinking did not lead to changes in prepro-orexin mRNA as a function of binge-like EtOH drinking. However, data from site-directed pharmacology studies indicate that the orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) is the predominate receptor subtype within the VTA and CeA that regulates binge-like EtOH drinking. Interestingly, inhibition of OX1Rs did not affect binge-like sucrose intake, which suggests that these OX circuits are specific for EtOH consumption. CONCLUSIONS As a whole, these data suggest that the VTA and CeA are important regions in which OX regulates binge-like EtOH drinking behavior. Moreover, these findings identify OXR antagonists as a potential treatment option that may be used to ameliorate problematic drinking behavior while leaving responding to natural rewards relatively intact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Olney
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Montserrat Navarro
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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32
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Lei K, Wegner SA, Yu JH, Hopf FW. Orexin-1 receptor blockade suppresses compulsive-like alcohol drinking in mice. Neuropharmacology 2016; 110:431-437. [PMID: 27523303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is promoted by pathological motivation for addictive substances, and, despite extensive efforts, alcohol use disorders (AUDs) continue to extract a very high social, physical, and economic toll. Compulsive drinking of alcohol, where consumption persists even when alcohol is paired with negative consequences, is considered a particular obstacle for treating AUDs. Aversion-resistant alcohol intake in rodents, e.g. where rodents drink even when alcohol is paired with the bitter tastant quinine, has been considered to model some compulsive aspects of human alcohol consumption. However, the critical mechanisms that drive compulsive-like drinking are only beginning to be identified. The neuropeptide orexin has been linked to high motivation for cocaine, preferred foods, and alcohol. Thus, we investigated the role of orexin receptors in compulsive-like alcohol drinking, where C57BL/6 mice had 2-hr daily access to 15% alcohol with or without quinine (100 μM). We found that systemic administration of the widely used selective orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) blocker, SB-334867 (SB), significantly reduced compulsive-like consumption at doses lower than those reported to reduce quinine-free alcohol intake. The dose of 3-mg/kg SB, in particular, suppressed only compulsive-like drinking. Furthermore, SB did not reduce concurrent water intake during the alcohol drinking sessions, and did not alter saccharin + quinine consumption. In addition, the OX2R antagonist TCS-OX2-29 (3 or 10 mg/kg) did not alter intake of alcohol with or without quinine. Together, our results suggest that OX1R signaling is particularly important for promoting compulsive-like alcohol drinking, and that OX1Rs might represent a novel therapy to counteract compulsive aspects of human AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Lei
- Alcohol Center for Translational Genetics, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Scott A Wegner
- Alcohol Center for Translational Genetics, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ji-Hwan Yu
- Alcohol Center for Translational Genetics, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Woodward Hopf
- Alcohol Center for Translational Genetics, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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33
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Olney JJ, Navarro M, Thiele TE. Binge-like consumption of ethanol and other salient reinforcers is blocked by orexin-1 receptor inhibition and leads to a reduction of hypothalamic orexin immunoreactivity. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 39:21-9. [PMID: 25623402 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Orexin (OX) neurons originating in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are ideally positioned to modulate reward processing as they form connections with several key brain regions known to be involved in the reward pathway. Consistent with these findings, a growing number of studies have implicated the OX system in modulating the rewarding properties of several drugs of abuse, including ethanol (EtOH). However, the role of the OX system in excessive binge-like EtOH intake remains relatively unexplored. Here, we assessed changes in OX immunoreactivity (IR) in the hypothalamus following repeated cycles of binge-like EtOH drinking and assessed the participation of the OX-1 receptor (OX1R) in binge-like EtOH consumption. METHODS The drinking-in-the-dark (DID) paradigm was used to model binge-like EtOH drinking in male C57BL/6J mice. In the first experiment, mice experienced 1 or 3 cycles of binge-like EtOH or sucrose drinking with DID procedures to assess changes in OX IR in distinct subregions of the hypothalamus. Subsequent experiments examined binge-like EtOH and saccharin drinking following peripheral injections of 0.0, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg SB-334867 (SB), a selective OX1R antagonist. Finally, mice were given peripheral injections of SB and open-field locomotor activity was measured. RESULTS Relative to water drinking controls, binge-like consumption of EtOH and sucrose resulted in a marked reduction in OX IR in the LH. Inhibition of the OX1R via SB blunted EtOH and saccharin drinking, but did not alter open-field locomotor activity. CONCLUSIONS Our observed reduction in OX IR in the LH indicates that the OX system in engaged during binge-like consumption of EtOH and sucrose. The observation that inhibition of the OX1R signaling blunted binge-like EtOH, and saccharin drinking suggests that reward-related OX circuits originating in the LH participate in the consumption of salient reinforcers regardless of calories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Olney
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Chang GQ, Karatayev O, Lukatskaya O, Leibowitz SF. Prenatal fat exposure and hypothalamic PPAR β/δ: Possible relationship to increased neurogenesis of orexigenic peptide neurons. Peptides 2016; 79:16-26. [PMID: 27002387 PMCID: PMC4872302 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gestational exposure to a fat-rich diet, while elevating maternal circulating fatty acids, increases in the offspring's hypothalamus and amygdala the proliferation and density of neurons that express neuropeptides known to stimulate consummatory behavior. To understand the relationship between these phenomena, this study examined in the brain of postnatal offspring (day 15) the effect of prenatal fat exposure on the transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) β/δ, which is sensitive to fatty acids, and the relationship of PPAR β/δ to the orexigenic neuropeptides, orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone, and enkephalin. Prenatal exposure to a fat-rich diet compared to low-fat chow increased the density of cells immunoreactive for PPAR β/δ in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PFLH), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), but not the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus or basolateral amygdaloid nucleus. It also increased co-labeling of PPAR β/δ with the cell proliferation marker, BrdU, or neuronal marker, NeuN, and the triple labeling of PPAR β/δ with BrdU plus NeuN, indicating an increase in proliferation and density of new PPAR β/δ neurons. Prenatal fat exposure stimulated the double-labeling of PPAR β/δ with orexin or melanin-concentrating hormone in the PFLH and enkephalin in the PVN and CeA and also triple-labeling of PPAR β/δ with BrdU and these neuropeptides, indicating that dietary fat increases the genesis of PPAR β/δ neurons that produce these peptides. These findings demonstrate a close anatomical relationship between PPAR β/δ and the increased proliferation and density of peptide-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus and amygdala of fat-exposed offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- G-Q Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - O Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - O Lukatskaya
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - S F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Barson JR, Leibowitz SF. Hypothalamic neuropeptide signaling in alcohol addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 65:321-9. [PMID: 25689818 PMCID: PMC4537397 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus is now known to regulate alcohol intake in addition to its established role in food intake, in part through neuromodulatory neurochemicals termed neuropeptides. Certain orexigenic neuropeptides act in the hypothalamus to promote alcohol drinking, although they affect different aspects of the drinking response. These neuropeptides, which include galanin, the endogenous opioid enkephalin, and orexin/hypocretin, appear to stimulate alcohol intake not only through mechanisms that promote food intake but also by enhancing reward and reinforcement from alcohol. Moreover, these neuropeptides participate in a positive feedback relationship with alcohol, whereby they are upregulated by alcohol intake to promote even further consumption. They contrast with other orexigenic neuropeptides, such as melanin-concentrating hormone and neuropeptide Y, which promote alcohol intake under limited circumstances, are not consistently stimulated by alcohol, and do not enhance reward. They also contrast with neuropeptides that can be anorexigenic, including the endogenous opioid dynorphin, corticotropin-releasing factor, and melanocortins, which act in the hypothalamus to inhibit alcohol drinking as well as reward and therefore counter the ingestive drive promoted by orexigenic neuropeptides. Thus, while multiple hypothalamic neuropeptides may work together to regulate different aspects of the alcohol drinking response, excessive signaling from orexigenic neuropeptides or inadequate signaling from anorexigenic neuropeptides can therefore allow alcohol drinking to become dysregulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Barson
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, Box 278, New York, NY, 10065 USA
| | - Sarah F. Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, Box 278, New York, NY, 10065 USA
,Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, Box 278, New York, NY, 10065 USA. Tel.: +1 212 327 8378; fax: +1 212 327 8447
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Sterling ME, Chang GQ, Karatayev O, Chang SY, Leibowitz SF. Effects of embryonic ethanol exposure at low doses on neuronal development, voluntary ethanol consumption and related behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish: Role of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides. Behav Brain Res 2016; 304:125-38. [PMID: 26778786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic exposure to ethanol is known to affect neurochemical systems in rodents and increase alcohol drinking and related behaviors in humans and rodents. With zebrafish emerging as a powerful tool for uncovering neural mechanisms of numerous diseases and exhibiting similarities to rodents, the present report building on our rat studies examined in zebrafish the effects of embryonic ethanol exposure on hypothalamic neurogenesis, expression of orexigenic neuropeptides, and voluntary ethanol consumption and locomotor behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish, and also effects of central neuropeptide injections on these behaviors affected by ethanol. At 24h post-fertilization, zebrafish embryos were exposed for 2h to ethanol, at low concentrations of 0.25% and 0.5%, in the tank water. Embryonic ethanol compared to control dose-dependently increased hypothalamic neurogenesis and the proliferation and expression of the orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), in the anterior hypothalamus. These changes in hypothalamic peptide neurons were accompanied by an increase in voluntary consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin and in novelty-induced locomotor and exploratory behavior in adult zebrafish and locomotor activity in larvae. After intracerebroventricular injection, these peptides compared to vehicle had specific effects on these behaviors altered by ethanol, with GAL stimulating consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin more than plain gelatin food and OX stimulating novelty-induced locomotor behavior while increasing intake of food and ethanol equally. These results, similar to those obtained in rats, suggest that the ethanol-induced increase in genesis and expression of these hypothalamic peptide neurons contribute to the behavioral changes induced by embryonic exposure to ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Sterling
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - G-Q Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - O Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - S Y Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - S F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States.
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Ziółkowski M, Czarnecki D, Budzyński J, Rosińska Z, Żekanowska E, Góralczyk B. Orexin in Patients with Alcohol Dependence Treated for Relapse Prevention: A Pilot Study. Alcohol Alcohol 2015; 51:416-21. [PMID: 26597795 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agv129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The aim of the study was to assess the blood concentration of orexin and its association with other clinical factors in patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS Thirty-two males hospitalized on an addiction treatment ward due to alcohol dependence and 23 healthy men as a control group were enrolled in the study. The measurement of orexin in the blood was made at the beginning of the treatment (after withdrawal symptoms had stopped) and again after 4 weeks of observation. RESULTS At the beginning of the observation, the alcohol-dependent patients had significantly greater orexin blood concentration than the control group. After 4 weeks of treatment for relapse prevention, the blood orexin level decreased significantly to a value similar to that in the control group. At the beginning of the study, more severely alcohol-dependent patients (Short Alcohol Dependence Data [SADD] score range: 20-45) had significantly greater orexin blood concentration than individuals with moderate addiction severity (SADD score range: 10-19). However, after 4 weeks of abstinence, the peptide blood concentration was similar in both groups of alcoholic patients. CONCLUSIONS Orexin or its receptor is a potential target for relapse prevention treatment, but further study with long-term observation is needed to verify the usefulness of blood orexin determination as a marker of alcohol relapse risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ziółkowski
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - D Czarnecki
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - J Budzyński
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Z Rosińska
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - E Żekanowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - B Góralczyk
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
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Abstract
The orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptors are two G protein-coupled receptors that bind the neuropeptides orexin-A and orexin-B. Dual antagonism of the receptors by small molecules is clinically efficacious in the treatment of insomnia, where the most advanced molecule suvorexant has recently been approved. The scope of this article is to review the small molecule orexin receptor antagonist patent literature between January 2012 and January 2014.
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Karatayev O, Lukatskaya O, Moon SH, Guo WR, Chen D, Algava D, Abedi S, Leibowitz SF. Nicotine and ethanol co-use in Long-Evans rats: Stimulatory effects of perinatal exposure to a fat-rich diet. Alcohol 2015; 49:479-89. [PMID: 25979531 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Clinical studies demonstrate frequent co-existence of nicotine and alcohol abuse and suggest that this may result, in part, from the ready access to and intake of fat-rich diets. Whereas animal studies show that high-fat diet intake in adults can enhance the consumption of either nicotine or ethanol and that maternal consumption of a fat-rich diet during pregnancy increases operant responding for nicotine in offspring, little is known about the impact of dietary fat on the co-abuse of these two drugs. The goal of this study was to test in Long-Evans rats the effects of perinatal exposure to fat on the co-use of nicotine and ethanol, using a novel paradigm that involves simultaneous intravenous (IV) self-administration of these two drugs. Fat- vs. chow-exposed offspring were characterized and compared, first in terms of their nicotine self-administration behavior, then in terms of their nicotine/ethanol self-administration behavior, and lastly in terms of their self-administration of ethanol in the absence of nicotine. The results demonstrate that maternal consumption of fat compared to low-fat chow during gestation and lactation significantly stimulates nicotine self-administration during fixed-ratio testing. It also increases nicotine/ethanol self-administration during fixed-ratio and dose-response testing, with BEC elevated to 120 mg/dL, and causes an increase in breakpoint during progressive ratio testing. Of particular note is the finding that rats perinatally exposed to fat self-administer significantly more of the nicotine/ethanol mixture as compared to nicotine alone, an effect not evident in the chow-control rats. After removal of nicotine from the nicotine/ethanol mixture, this difference between the fat- and chow-exposed rats was lost, with both groups failing to acquire the self-administration of ethanol alone. Together, these findings suggest that perinatal exposure to a fat-rich diet, in addition to stimulating self-administration of nicotine, causes an even greater vulnerability to the excessive co-use of nicotine and ethanol.
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GHS-R1A antagonism reduces alcohol but not sucrose preference in prairie voles. Physiol Behav 2015; 147:23-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Barson JR, Ho HT, Leibowitz SF. Anterior thalamic paraventricular nucleus is involved in intermittent access ethanol drinking: role of orexin receptor 2. Addict Biol 2015; 20:469-81. [PMID: 24712379 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been shown to participate in hedonic feeding and is thought to influence drug seeking. This understudied nucleus contains anterior (aPVT) and posterior (pPVT) subregions, which receive dense projections from hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin (OX) but exhibit anatomical and functional differences. This study sought to characterize in Long-Evans rats the involvement of these PVT subregions and their OX receptor activity in consumption of the drug, ethanol. Compared with those maintained on water and chow only (water group), rats trained to drink pharmacologically relevant levels of ethanol (ethanol group) showed increased neuronal activation in the PVT, specifically the aPVT but not pPVT, as indicated by c-Fos immunoreactivity. Similar results were obtained in rats administered ethanol via oral gavage, indicating that this site-specific effect was due to ethanol exposure. In support of the involvement of OX, the ethanol group also showed increased mRNA levels of this neuropeptide in the hypothalamus and of OX 2 receptor (OX2R) but not OX 1 receptor (OX1R), again in the aPVT but not pPVT. Similarly, ethanol gavage increased double labeling of c-Fos with OX2R but not OX1R, specifically in the aPVT. Evidence directly supporting a role for aPVT OX2R in ethanol consumption was provided by results with local injections, showing ethanol intake to be enhanced by OX-A or OX-B in the aPVT but not pPVT and reduced by a local antagonist of OX2R but not OX1R. These results focus attention on the aPVT and specifically its OX2R in mediating a positive feedback relationship with ethanol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Barson
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology; The Rockefeller University; New York NY USA
| | - Hui Tin Ho
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology; The Rockefeller University; New York NY USA
| | - Sarah F. Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology; The Rockefeller University; New York NY USA
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Richardson TG, Minica C, Heron J, Tavare J, MacKenzie A, Day I, Lewis G, Hickman M, Vink JM, Gelernter J, Kranzler HR, Farrer LA, Munafò M, Wynick D. Evaluating the role of a galanin enhancer genotype on a range of metabolic, depressive and addictive phenotypes. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2014; 165B:654-64. [PMID: 25228436 PMCID: PMC4388908 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is a large body of pre-clinical and some clinical data to link the neuropeptide galanin to a range of physiological and pathological functions that include metabolism, depression, and addiction. An enhancer region upstream of the human GAL transcriptional start site has previously been characterised. In-vitro transfection studies in rat hypothalamic neurons demonstrated that the CA allele was 40% less active than the GG allele in driving galanin expression. Our hypothesis was to investigate the effect of this galanin enhancer genotype on a range of variables that relate to the known functions of the galaninergic system in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort of young adults (N = 169-6,078). Initial findings showed a positive relationship of cannabis usage (OR = 2.070, P = 0.007, N = 406 (individuals who had used cannabis at least once within the last 12 months, total sample size 2731) with the GG haplotype, consistent with the previous published data linking galanin with an increased release of dopamine. As our sample size was relatively small we replicated the analysis in a larger cohort of 2,224 African Americans and 1,840 European Americans, but no discernible trend across genotypes was observed for the relationship with cannabis usage. Further, we found no association of the galanin enhancer genotype with any of the other pathophysiological parameters measured. These findings emphasise that preclinical data does not always predict clinical outcomes in cohort studies, noting that association studies are subject to multiple confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom G Richardson
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - Camelia Minica
- Department of Biological Psychology/Netherlands Twin Register, VU UniversityAmsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jon Heron
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - Jeremy Tavare
- School of Biochemistry, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - Alasdair MacKenzie
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, University of AberdeenAberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Ian Day
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Matthew Hickman
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - Jacqueline M Vink
- Department of Biological Psychology/Netherlands Twin Register, VU UniversityAmsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Department of Psychiatry, Genetics, and Neurobiology, and VA CT Healthcare Center, Yale University School of MedicineWest Haven, Connecticut
| | - Henry R Kranzler
- Department of Psychiatry, Genetics, and Neurobiology, and VA CT Healthcare Center, Yale University School of MedicineWest Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Genetics, and Neurobiology, and VA CT Healthcare Center, Yale University School of MedicineWest Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marcus Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, and School of Experimental Psychology, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - David Wynick
- Schools of Physiology and Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences, University of BristolBristol, UK
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Chen YW, Barson JR, Chen A, Hoebel BG, Leibowitz SF. Hypothalamic peptides controlling alcohol intake: differential effects on microstructure of drinking bouts. Alcohol 2014; 48:657-64. [PMID: 25241055 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Different alcohol drinking patterns, involving either small and frequent drinking bouts or large and long-lasting bouts, are found to differentially affect the risk for developing alcohol-related diseases, suggesting that they have different underlying mechanisms. Such mechanisms may involve orexigenic peptides known to stimulate alcohol intake through their actions in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). These include orexin (OX), which is expressed in the perifornical lateral hypothalamus, and galanin (GAL) and enkephalin (ENK), which are expressed within as well as outside the PVN. To investigate the possibility that these peptides affect different aspects of consumption, a microstructural analysis of ethanol drinking behavior was performed in male, Sprague-Dawley rats trained to drink 7% ethanol and implanted with guide shafts aimed at the PVN. While housed in specialized cages containing computerized intake monitors (BioDAQ Laboratory Intake Monitoring System, Research Diets Inc., New Brunswick, NJ) that measure bouts of ethanol drinking, these rats were given PVN injections of OX (0.9 nmol), GAL (1.0 nmol), or the ENK analog D-Ala2-met-enkephalinamide (DALA) (14.2 nmol), as compared to saline vehicle. Results revealed clear differences between the effects of these peptides. While all 3 stimulated ethanol intake, they had distinct effects on patterns of drinking, with OX increasing the number of drinking bouts, GAL increasing the size of the drinking bouts, and DALA increasing both the size and duration of the bouts. In contrast, these peptides had little impact on water or food intake. These results support the idea that different peptides can increase ethanol consumption by promoting distinct aspects of the ethanol drinking response. The stimulatory effect of OX on drinking frequency may be related to its neuronally stimulatory properties, while the stimulatory effect of GAL and ENK on bout size and duration may reflect a suppressive effect of these neuronally inhibitory peptides on the satiety-controlling PVN.
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Sterling ME, Karatayev O, Chang GQ, Algava DB, Leibowitz SF. Model of voluntary ethanol intake in zebrafish: effect on behavior and hypothalamic orexigenic peptides. Behav Brain Res 2014; 278:29-39. [PMID: 25257106 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies in zebrafish have shown that exposure to ethanol in tank water affects various behaviors, including locomotion, anxiety and aggression, and produces changes in brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. Building on these investigations, the present study had two goals: first, to develop a method for inducing voluntary ethanol intake in individual zebrafish, which can be used as a model in future studies to examine how this behavior is affected by various manipulations, and second, to characterize the effects of this ethanol intake on different behaviors and the expression of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), which are known in rodents to stimulate consumption of ethanol and alter behaviors associated with alcohol abuse. Thus, we first developed a new model of voluntary intake of ethanol in fish by presenting this ethanol mixed with gelatin, which they readily consume. Using this model, we found that individual zebrafish can be trained in a short period to consume stable levels of 10% or 20% ethanol (v/v) mixed with gelatin and that their intake of this ethanol-gelatin mixture leads to pharmacologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations which are strongly, positively correlated with the amount ingested. Intake of this ethanol-gelatin mixture increased locomotion, reduced anxiety, and stimulated aggressive behavior, while increasing expression of GAL and OX in specific hypothalamic areas. These findings, confirming results in rats, provide a method in zebrafish for investigating with forward genetics and pharmacological techniques the role of different brain mechanisms in controlling ethanol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Sterling
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - O Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - G-Q Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - D B Algava
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - S F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Vadnie CA, Park JH, Abdel Gawad N, Ho AMC, Hinton DJ, Choi DS. Gut-brain peptides in corticostriatal-limbic circuitry and alcohol use disorders. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:288. [PMID: 25278825 PMCID: PMC4166902 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides synthesized in endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract and neurons are traditionally considered regulators of metabolism, energy intake, and appetite. However, recent work has demonstrated that many of these peptides act on corticostriatal-limbic circuitry and, in turn, regulate addictive behaviors. Given that alcohol is a source of energy and an addictive substance, it is not surprising that increasing evidence supports a role for gut-brain peptides specifically in alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this review, we discuss the effects of several gut-brain peptides on alcohol-related behaviors and the potential mechanisms by which these gut-brain peptides may interfere with alcohol-induced changes in corticostriatal-limbic circuitry. This review provides a summary of current knowledge on gut-brain peptides focusing on five peptides: neurotensin, glucagon-like peptide 1, ghrelin, substance P, and neuropeptide Y. Our review will be helpful to develop novel therapeutic targets for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Vadnie
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Neurobiology of Disease Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jun Hyun Park
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, InJe University Seoul, South Korea
| | - Noha Abdel Gawad
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ada Man Choi Ho
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA
| | - David J Hinton
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Neurobiology of Disease Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Neurobiology of Disease Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN, USA
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Arias-Carrión O, Caraza-Santiago X, Salgado-Licona S, Salama M, Machado S, Nardi AE, Menéndez-González M, Murillo-Rodríguez E. Orquestic regulation of neurotransmitters on reward-seeking behavior. Int Arch Med 2014; 7:29. [PMID: 25061480 PMCID: PMC4108978 DOI: 10.1186/1755-7682-7-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area is strongly associated with the reward system. Dopamine is released in areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex as a result of rewarding experiences such as food, sex, and neutral stimuli that become associated with them. Electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area or its output pathways can itself serve as a potent reward. Different drugs that increase dopamine levels are intrinsically rewarding. Although the dopaminergic system represent the cornerstone of the reward system, other neurotransmitters such as endogenous opioids, glutamate, γ-Aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, serotonin, adenosine, endocannabinoids, orexins, galanin and histamine all affect this mesolimbic dopaminergic system. Consequently, genetic variations of neurotransmission are thought influence reward processing that in turn may affect distinctive social behavior and susceptibility to addiction. Here, we discuss current evidence on the orquestic regulation of different neurotranmitters on reward-seeking behavior and its potential effect on drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Arias-Carrión
- Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento y Sueño (TMS), Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico City, Mexico ; Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento y Sueño (TMS), Hospital General Ajusco Medio, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Xanic Caraza-Santiago
- Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento y Sueño (TMS), Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Salgado-Licona
- Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento y Sueño (TMS), Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mohamed Salama
- Toxicology Department and Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Sergio Machado
- Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ; Physical Activity Neuroscience Physical Activity Sciences Postgraduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Antonio Egidio Nardi
- Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Eric Murillo-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Moleculares e Integrativas, Escuela de Medicina, División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
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Matzeu A, Zamora-Martinez ER, Martin-Fardon R. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus is recruited by both natural rewards and drugs of abuse: recent evidence of a pivotal role for orexin/hypocretin signaling in this thalamic nucleus in drug-seeking behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:117. [PMID: 24765071 PMCID: PMC3982054 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A major challenge for the successful treatment of drug addiction is the long-lasting susceptibility to relapse and multiple processes that have been implicated in the compulsion to resume drug intake during abstinence. Recently, the orexin/hypocretin (Orx/Hcrt) system has been shown to play a role in drug-seeking behavior. The Orx/Hcrt system regulates a wide range of physiological processes, including feeding, energy metabolism, and arousal. It has also been shown to be recruited by drugs of abuse. Orx/Hcrt neurons are predominantly located in the lateral hypothalamus that projects to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), a region that has been identified as a "way-station" that processes information and then modulates the mesolimbic reward and extrahypothalamic stress systems. Although not thought to be part of the "drug addiction circuitry", recent evidence indicates that the PVT is involved in the modulation of reward function in general and drug-directed behavior in particular. Evidence indicates a role for Orx/Hcrt transmission in the PVT in the modulation of reward function in general and drug-directed behavior in particular. One hypothesis is that following repeated drug exposure, the Orx/Hcrt system acquires a preferential role in mediating the effects of drugs vs. natural rewards. The present review discusses recent findings that suggest maladaptive recruitment of the PVT by drugs of abuse, specifically Orx/Hcrt-PVT neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Matzeu
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eva R. Zamora-Martinez
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rémi Martin-Fardon
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
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Yeoh JW, Campbell EJ, James MH, Graham BA, Dayas CV. Orexin antagonists for neuropsychiatric disease: progress and potential pitfalls. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:36. [PMID: 24616658 PMCID: PMC3934415 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight regulation of sleep/wake states is critical for mental and physiological wellbeing. For example, dysregulation of sleep/wake systems predisposes individuals to metabolic disorders such as obesity and psychiatric problems, including depression. Contributing to this understanding, the last decade has seen significant advances in our appreciation of the complex interactions between brain systems that control the transition between sleep and wake states. Pivotal to our increased understanding of this pathway was the description of a group of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) that express the neuropeptides orexin A and B (hypocretin, Hcrt-1 and Hcrt-2). Orexin neurons were quickly placed at center stage with the demonstration that loss of normal orexin function is associated with the development of narcolepsy—a condition in which sufferers fail to maintain normal levels of daytime wakefulness. Since these initial seminal findings, much progress has been made in our understanding of the physiology and function of the orexin system. For example, the orexin system has been identified as a key modulator of autonomic and neuroendocrine function, arousal, reward and attention. Notably, studies in animals suggest that dysregulation of orexin function is associated with neuropsychiatric states such as addiction and mood disorders including depression and anxiety. This review discusses the progress associated with therapeutic attempts to restore orexin system function and treat neuropsychiatric conditions such as addiction, depression and anxiety. We also highlight potential pitfalls and challenges associated with targeting this system to treat these neuropsychiatric states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiann Wei Yeoh
- Neurobiology of Addiction Laboratory, The Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Neurobiology of Addiction Laboratory, The Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Morgan H James
- Neurobiology of Addiction Laboratory, The Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Brett A Graham
- Neurobiology of Addiction Laboratory, The Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher V Dayas
- Neurobiology of Addiction Laboratory, The Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Anderson RI, Becker HC, Adams BL, Jesudason CD, Rorick-Kehn LM. Orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptor antagonists reduce ethanol self-administration in high-drinking rodent models. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:33. [PMID: 24616657 PMCID: PMC3933945 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To examine the role of orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptor activity on ethanol self-administration, compounds that differentially target orexin (OX) receptor subtypes were assessed in various self-administration paradigms using high-drinking rodent models. Effects of the OX1 antagonist SB334867, the OX2 antagonist LSN2424100, and the mixed OX1/2 antagonist almorexant (ACT-078573) on home cage ethanol consumption were tested in ethanol-preferring (P) rats using a 2-bottle choice procedure. In separate experiments, effects of SB334867, LSN2424100, and almorexant on operant ethanol self-administration were assessed in P rats maintained on a progressive ratio operant schedule of reinforcement. In a third series of experiments, SB334867, LSN2424100, and almorexant were administered to ethanol-preferring C57BL/6J mice to examine effects of OX receptor blockade on ethanol intake in a binge-like drinking (drinking-in-the-dark) model. In P rats with chronic home cage free-choice ethanol access, SB334867 and almorexant significantly reduced ethanol intake, but almorexant also reduced water intake, suggesting non-specific effects on consummatory behavior. In the progressive ratio operant experiments, LSN2424100 and almorexant reduced breakpoints and ethanol consumption in P rats, whereas the almorexant inactive enantiomer and SB334867 did not significantly affect the motivation to consume ethanol. As expected, vehicle-injected mice exhibited binge-like drinking patterns in the drinking-in-the-dark model. All three OX antagonists reduced both ethanol intake and resulting blood ethanol concentrations relative to vehicle-injected controls, but SB334867 and LSN2424100 also reduced sucrose consumption in a different cohort of mice, suggesting non-specific effects. Collectively, these results contribute to a growing body of evidence indicating that OX1 and OX2 receptor activity influences ethanol self-administration, although the effects may not be selective for ethanol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Anderson
- Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA ; Charleston Alcohol Research Center Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA ; Charleston Alcohol Research Center Charleston, SC, USA ; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center USA
| | - Benjamin L Adams
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Davis JF, Tracy AL, Schurdak JD, Magrisso IJ, Grayson BE, Seeley RJ, Benoit SC. Roux en Y gastric bypass increases ethanol intake in the rat. Obes Surg 2014; 23:920-30. [PMID: 23440511 DOI: 10.1007/s11695-013-0884-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is currently the most effective therapy employed to treat obesity and its associated complications. In addition to weight loss and resolution of metabolic syndromes, such as diabetes, the RYGB procedure has been reported to increase alcohol consumption in humans. Using an outbred rodent model, we demonstrate that RYGB increases postsurgical ethanol consumption, that this effect cannot be explained solely by postsurgical weight loss and that it is independent of presurgical body weight or dietary composition. Altered ethanol metabolism and postsurgical shifts in release of ghrelin were also unable to account for changes in alcohol intake. Further investigation of the potential physiological factors underlying this behavioral effect identified altered patterns of gene expression in brain regions associated with reward following RYGB surgery. These findings have important clinical implications as they demonstrate that RYGB surgery leads directly to increased alcohol intake in otherwise alcohol nonpreferring rat and induces neurobiological changes in brain circuits that mediate a variety of appetitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon F Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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