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Morais-Silva G, Lobo MK. Refining the circuits of drug addiction: The ventral pallidum. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102883. [PMID: 38815544 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum is a prominent structure within the basal ganglia, regulating reward and motivational processes. Positioned at the interface between motor and limbic structures, its function is crucial to the development and maintenance of substance use disorders. Chronic drug use induces neuroplastic events in this structure, leading to long-term changes in VP neuronal activity and synaptic communication. Moreover, different neuronal populations within the VP drive drug-seeking behavior in opposite directions. This review explores the role of the VP as a hub for reward, motivation, and aversion, establishing it as an important contributor to the pathophysiology of substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology, Araraquara, SP, Brazil. https://twitter.com/gessynger
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Yang L, Fang LZ, Lynch MR, Xu CS, Hahm H, Zhang Y, Heitmeier MR, Costa V, Samineni VK, Creed MC. Transcriptomic landscape of mammalian ventral pallidum at single-cell resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595793. [PMID: 38826431 PMCID: PMC11142225 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) is critical for motivated behaviors. While contemporary work has begun to elucidate the functional diversity of VP neurons, the molecular heterogeneity underlying this functional diversity remains incompletely understood. We used snRNA-seq and in situ hybridization to define the transcriptional taxonomy of VP cell types in mice, macaques, and baboons. We found transcriptional conservation between all three species, within the broader neurochemical cell types. Unique dopaminoceptive and cholinergic subclusters were identified and conserved across both primate species but had no homolog in mice. This harmonized consensus VP cellular atlas will pave the way for understanding the structure and function of the VP and identified key neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, and neuro receptors that could be targeted within specific VP cell types for functional investigations.
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Troppoli TA, Yang C, Katsuki F, Uygun DS, Lin I, Aguilar DD, Spratt T, Basheer R, McNally JM, Savio Chan C, McKenna JT, Brown RE. Neuronal PAS domain 1 identifies a major subpopulation of wakefulness-promoting GABAergic neurons in the basal forebrain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321410121. [PMID: 38748575 PMCID: PMC11127008 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321410121] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe a group of basal forebrain (BF) neurons expressing neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain 1 (Npas1), a developmental transcription factor linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Immunohistochemical staining in Npas1-cre-2A-TdTomato mice revealed BF Npas1+ neurons are distinct from well-studied parvalbumin or cholinergic neurons. Npas1 staining in GAD67-GFP knock-in mice confirmed that the vast majority of Npas1+ neurons are GABAergic, with minimal colocalization with glutamatergic neurons in vGlut1-cre-tdTomato or vGlut2-cre-tdTomato mice. The density of Npas1+ neurons was high, five to six times that of neighboring cholinergic, parvalbumin, or glutamatergic neurons. Anterograde tracing identified prominent projections of BF Npas1+ neurons to brain regions involved in sleep-wake control, motivated behaviors, and olfaction such as the lateral hypothalamus, lateral habenula, nucleus accumbens shell, ventral tegmental area, and olfactory bulb. Chemogenetic activation of BF Npas1+ neurons in the light period increased the amount of wakefulness and the latency to sleep for 2 to 3 h, due to an increase in long wake bouts and short NREM sleep bouts. NREM slow-wave and sigma power, as well as sleep spindle density, amplitude, and duration, were reduced, reminiscent of findings in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Together with previous findings implicating BF Npas1+ neurons in stress responsiveness, the anatomical projections of BF Npas1+ neurons and the effect of activating them suggest a possible role for BF Npas1+ neurons in motivationally driven wakefulness and stress-induced insomnia. Identification of this major subpopulation of BF GABAergic neurons will facilitate studies of their role in sleep disorders, dementia, and other neuropsychiatric conditions involving BF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Troppoli
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Chun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Boston Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Institute, Boston, MA02130
| | - Fumi Katsuki
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - David S. Uygun
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | | | - David D. Aguilar
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Tristan Spratt
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Radhika Basheer
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Boston Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Institute, Boston, MA02130
| | - James M. McNally
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Boston Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Institute, Boston, MA02130
| | - C. Savio Chan
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL60611
| | - James T. McKenna
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Boston Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Institute, Boston, MA02130
| | - Ritchie E. Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA02132
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Boston Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Institute, Boston, MA02130
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4
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Scott A, Paulson A, Prill C, Kermoade K, Newell B, Richard JM. Ventral pallidal GABAergic neurons drive consumption in male, but not female rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591876. [PMID: 38746325 PMCID: PMC11092650 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Food intake is controlled by multiple converging signals: hormonal signals that provide information about energy homeostasis, but also hedonic and motivational aspects of food and food cues that can drive non-homeostatic or "hedonic "feeding. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a brain region implicated in the hedonic and motivational impact of food and foods cues, as well as consumption of rewards. Disinhibition of VP neurons has been shown to generate intense hyperphagia, or overconsumption. While VP gamma-Aminobutyric acidergic (GABA) neurons have been implicated in cue-elicited reward seeking and motivation, the role of these neurons in the hyperphagia resulting from VP activation remains unclear. Here, we used Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to activate or inhibit VP GABA neurons in sated male and female rats during chow and sucrose consumption. We found that activation of VP GABA neurons increases consumption of chow and sucrose in male rats, but not female rats. We also found that, while inhibition of VP GABA neurons tended to decrease sucrose consumption, this effect was not statistically significant. Together, these findings suggest that activation of VP GABA neurons can stimulate consumption of routine or highly palatable rewards selectively in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Scott
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Anika Paulson
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Collin Prill
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Kaiten Kermoade
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Molecular and Pharmacological Therapeutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Bailey Newell
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Jocelyn M. Richard
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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Bernat N, Campbell RR, Nam H, Basu M, Odesser T, Elyasaf G, Engeln M, Chandra R, Golden S, Ament S, Lobo MK, Kupchik YM. Multimodal Interrogation of Ventral Pallidum Projections Reveals Projection-Specific Signatures and Effects on Cocaine Reward. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1469232024. [PMID: 38485256 PMCID: PMC11063828 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1469-23.2024] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central hub in the reward circuitry with diverse projections that have different behavioral roles attributed mostly to the connectivity with the downstream target. However, different VP projections may represent, as in the striatum, separate neuronal populations that differ in more than just connectivity. In this study, we performed in mice of both sexes a multimodal dissection of four major projections of the VP-to the lateral hypothalamus (VP→LH), ventral tegmental area (VP→VTA), lateral habenula (VP→LHb), and mediodorsal thalamus (VP→MDT)-with physiological, anatomical, genetic, and behavioral tools. We also tested for physiological differences between VP neurons receiving input from nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that express either the D1 (D1-MSNs) or the D2 (D2-MSNs) dopamine receptor. We show that each VP projection (1) when inhibited during a cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) test affects performance differently, (2) receives a different pattern of inputs using rabies retrograde labeling, (3) shows differentially expressed genes using RNA sequencing, and (4) has projection-specific characteristics in excitability and synaptic input characteristics using whole-cell patch clamp. VP→LH and VP→VTA projections have different effects on CPP and show low overlap in circuit tracing experiments, as VP→VTA neurons receive more striatal input, while VP→LH neurons receive more olfactory input. Additionally, VP→VTA neurons are less excitable, while VP→LH neurons are more excitable than the average VP neuron, a difference driven mainly by D2-MSN-responding neurons. Thus, VP→VTA and VP→LH neurons may represent largely distinct populations of VP neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Bernat
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
- IMRIC Center for Addiction Research (ICARe), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Rianne R Campbell
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Hyungwoo Nam
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Mahashweta Basu
- Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Tal Odesser
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Gal Elyasaf
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Michel Engeln
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Shana Golden
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Seth Ament
- Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Yonatan M Kupchik
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
- IMRIC Center for Addiction Research (ICARe), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
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Rodriguez M, Themann A, Garcia-Carachure I, Lira O, Robison AJ, Cushing BS, Iñiguez SD. Chronic social defeat stress in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster): A preclinical model for the study of depression-related phenotypes. J Affect Disord 2024; 351:833-842. [PMID: 38341153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress-induced illnesses, like major depression, are among the leading causes of disability across the world. Consequently, there is a dire need for the validation of translationally-suited animal models incorporating social stress to uncover the etiology of depression. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are more translationally relevant than many other rodent models as they display monogamous social and bi-parental behaviors. Therefore, we evaluated whether a novel social defeat stress (SDS) model in male prairie voles induces depression-relevant behavioral outcomes. METHODS Adult sexually-naïve male prairie voles experienced SDS bouts from a conspecific pair-bonded male aggressor, 10 min per day for 10 consecutive days. Non-stressed controls (same-sex siblings) were housed in similar conditions but never experienced physical stress. Twenty-four h later, voles were evaluated in social interaction, sucrose preference, and Morris water maze tests - behavioral endpoints validated to assess social withdrawal, anhedonia-related behavior, and spatial memory performance, respectively. RESULTS SDS-exposed voles displayed lower sociability and body weight, decreased preference for a sucrose solution, and impairment of spatial memory retrieval. Importantly, no differences in general locomotor activity were observed as a function of SDS exposure. LIMITATIONS This study does not include female voles in the experimental design. CONCLUSIONS We found that repeated SDS exposure, in male prairie voles, results in a depression-relevant phenotype resembling an anhedonia-like outcome (per reductions in sucrose preference) along with social withdrawal and spatial memory impairment - highlighting that the prairie vole is a valuable model with potential to study the neurobiology of social stress-induced depression-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minerva Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Anapaula Themann
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | | | - Omar Lira
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Bruce S Cushing
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Sergio D Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.
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Martínez-Caballero MÁ, Calpe-López C, García-Pardo MP, Arenas MC, de la Rubia Ortí JE, Bayona-Babiloni R, Aguilar MA. Behavioural traits related with resilience or vulnerability to the development of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference after exposure of female mice to vicarious social defeat. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 130:110912. [PMID: 38097163 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stress induced by intermittent repeated social defeat (IRSD) increases vulnerability to the development of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) among male mice; however, some defeated mice are resilient to these effects of stress. In the present study we evaluated the effects of vicarious IRSD (VIRSD) in female mice and explored behavioural traits that are potentially predictive of resilience. C57BL/6 female mice (n = 28) were exposed to VIRSD, which consisted of the animals witnessing a short experience of social defeat by a male mouse on postnatal day (PND) 47, 50, 53 and 56. The control group (n = 10) was not exposed to stress. Blood samples were collected on PND 47 and 56 for corticosterone and interleukin-6 determinations. On PND 57-58, female mice performed several behavioural tests (elevated plus maze, hole-board, object recognition, social interaction, TST and splash tests). Three weeks later, the effects of cocaine (1.5 mg/kg) on the CPP paradigm were assessed. VIRSD decreased corticosterone levels (on PND 56), increased interleukin-6 levels, enhanced novelty-seeking, improved recognition memory and induced anxiety- and depression-like symptoms. Control and VIRSD female mice did not acquire CPP, although some stressed individuals with certain behavioural traits - including a high novelty-seeking profile or the development of depression-like behaviour in the splash test shortly after VIRSD - acquired cocaine CPP. Our results confirm that some behavioural traits of female mice are associated with vulnerability or resilience to the long-term effects of social stress on cocaine reward, as previously observed in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ángeles Martínez-Caballero
- Neurobehavioural Mechanisms and Endophenotypes of Addictive Behaviour Research Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Claudia Calpe-López
- Neurobehavioural Mechanisms and Endophenotypes of Addictive Behaviour Research Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria Pilar García-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
| | | | | | - Raquel Bayona-Babiloni
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Martir, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria Asunción Aguilar
- Neurobehavioural Mechanisms and Endophenotypes of Addictive Behaviour Research Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
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Guilhemsang L, Mallet NP. Arkypallidal neurons in basal ganglia circuits: Unveiling novel pallidostriatal loops? Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102814. [PMID: 38016260 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Just over a decade ago, a novel GABAergic input originating from a subpopulation of external globus pallidus neurons known as Arkypallidal and projecting exclusively to the striatum was unveiled. At the single-cell level, these pallidostriatal Arkypallidal projections represent one of the largest extrinsic sources of GABA known to innervate the dorsal striatum. This discovery has sparked new questions regarding their role in striatal information processing, the circuit that recruit these neurons, and their influence on behaviour, especially in the context of action selection vs. inhibition. In this review, we will present the different anatomo-functional organization of Arkypallidal neurons as compared to classic Prototypic neurons, including their unique molecular properties and what is known about their specific input/output synaptic organization. We will further describe recent findings that demonstrate one mode of action of Arkypallidal neurons, which is to convey feedback inhibition to the striatum, and how this mechanism is differentially modulated by both striatal projection pathways. Lastly, we will delve into speculations on their mechanistic contribution to striatal action execution or inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Guilhemsang
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas P Mallet
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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9
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Navarrete J, Schneider KN, Smith BM, Goodwin NL, Zhang YY, Salazar AS, Gonzalez YE, Anumolu P, Gross E, Tsai VS, Heshmati M, Golden SA. Individual Differences in Volitional Social Self-Administration and Motivation in Male and Female Mice Following Social Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00033-7. [PMID: 38244753 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A key challenge in developing treatments for neuropsychiatric illness is the disconnect between preclinical models and the complexity of human social behavior. We integrate voluntary social self-administration into a rodent model of social stress as a platform for the identification of fundamental brain and behavior mechanisms underlying stress-induced individual differences in social motivation. METHODS Here, we introduced an operant social stress procedure in male and female mice composed of 3 phases: 1) social self-administration training, 2) social stress exposure concurrent with reinforced self-administration testing, and 3) poststress operant testing under nonreinforced and reinforced conditions. We used social-defeat and witness-defeat stress in male and female mice. RESULTS Social defeat attenuated social reward seeking in males but not females, whereas witness defeat had no effect in males but promoted seeking behavior in females. We resolved social stress-induced changes to social motivation by aggregating z-scored operant metrics into a cumulative social index score to describe the spectrum of individual differences exhibited during operant social stress. Clustering does not adequately describe the relative distributions of social motivation following stress and is better described as a nonbinary behavioral distribution defined by the social index score, capturing a dynamic range of stress-related alterations in social motivation inclusive of sex as a biological variable. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that operant social stress can detect stable individual differences in stress-induced changes to social motivation. The inclusion of volitional behavior in social procedures may enhance the understanding of behavioral adaptations that promote stress resiliency and their mechanisms under more naturalistic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Navarrete
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kevin N Schneider
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Briana M Smith
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nastacia L Goodwin
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yizhe Y Zhang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Axelle S Salazar
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yahir E Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Pranav Anumolu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ethan Gross
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Valerie S Tsai
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mitra Heshmati
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sam A Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
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10
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Gyles TM, Nestler EJ, Parise EM. Advancing preclinical chronic stress models to promote therapeutic discovery for human stress disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:215-226. [PMID: 37349475 PMCID: PMC10700361 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments for stress-related illnesses, which include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. We view animal models as playing an essential role in this effort, but to date, such approaches have generally not succeeded in developing therapeutics with new mechanisms of action. This is partly due to the complexity of the brain and its disorders, but also to inherent difficulties in modeling human disorders in rodents and to the incorrect use of animal models: namely, trying to recapitulate a human syndrome in a rodent which is likely not possible as opposed to using animals to understand underlying mechanisms and evaluating potential therapeutic paths. Recent transcriptomic research has established the ability of several different chronic stress procedures in rodents to recapitulate large portions of the molecular pathology seen in postmortem brain tissue of individuals with depression. These findings provide crucial validation for the clear relevance of rodent stress models to better understand the pathophysiology of human stress disorders and help guide therapeutic discovery. In this review, we first discuss the current limitations of preclinical chronic stress models as well as traditional behavioral phenotyping approaches. We then explore opportunities to dramatically enhance the translational use of rodent stress models through the application of new experimental technologies. The goal of this review is to promote the synthesis of these novel approaches in rodents with human cell-based approaches and ultimately with early-phase proof-of-concept studies in humans to develop more effective treatments for human stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevonn M Gyles
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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11
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Troppoli TA, Yang C, Katsuki F, Uygun DS, Lin I, Aguilar D, Spratt T, Basheer R, McNally JM, Chan CS, McKenna JT, Brown RE. Neuronal PAS domain 1 identifies a major subpopulation of wakefulness-promoting GABAergic neurons in basal forebrain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.09.566065. [PMID: 37986953 PMCID: PMC10659409 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.09.566065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe a novel group of basal forebrain (BF) neurons expressing neuronal PAS domain 1 (Npas1), a developmental transcription factor linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Immunohistochemical staining in Npas1-cre-2A-TdTomato mice revealed BF Npas1 + neurons are distinct from well-studied parvalbumin or cholinergic neurons. Npas1 staining in GAD67-GFP knock-in mice confirmed that the vast majority of Npas1 + neurons are GABAergic, with minimal colocalization with glutamatergic neurons in vGlut1-cre-tdTomato or vGlut2-cre-tdTomato mice. The density of Npas1 + neurons was high, 5-6 times that of neighboring cholinergic, parvalbumin or glutamatergic neurons. Anterograde tracing identified prominent projections of BF Npas1 + neurons to brain regions involved in sleep-wake control, motivated behaviors and olfaction such as the lateral hypothalamus, lateral habenula, nucleus accumbens shell, ventral tegmental area and olfactory bulb. Chemogenetic activation of BF Npas1 + neurons in the light (inactive) period increased the amount of wakefulness and the latency to sleep for 2-3 hr, due to an increase in long wake bouts and short NREM sleep bouts. Non-REM slow-wave (0-1.5 Hz) and sigma (9-15 Hz) power, as well as sleep spindle density, amplitude and duration, were reduced, reminiscent of findings in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Together with previous findings implicating BF Npas1 + neurons in stress responsiveness, the anatomical projections of BF Npas1 + neurons and the effect of activating them suggest a possible role for BF Npas1 + neurons in motivationally-driven wakefulness and stress-induced insomnia. Identification of this major subpopulation of BF GABAergic neurons will facilitate studies of their role in sleep disorders, dementia and other neuropsychiatric conditions involving BF. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We characterize a group of basal forebrain (BF) neurons in the mouse expressing neuronal PAS domain 1 (Npas1), a developmental transcription factor linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. BF Npas1 + neurons are a major subset of GABAergic neurons distinct and more numerous than cholinergic, parvalbumin or glutamate neurons. BF Npas1 + neurons target brain areas involved in arousal, motivation and olfaction. Activation of BF Npas1 + neurons in the light (inactive) period increased wakefulness and the latency to sleep due to increased long wake bouts. Non-REM sleep slow waves and spindles were reduced reminiscent of findings in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Identification of this major subpopulation of BF GABAergic wake-promoting neurons will allow studies of their role in insomnia, dementia and other conditions involving BF.
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Barbetti M, Vilella R, Naponelli V, Bilotti I, Magistrati M, Dallabona C, Ielpo D, Andolina D, Sgoifo A, Savi M, Carnevali L. Repeated witness social stress causes cardiomyocyte contractile impairment and intracellular Ca 2+ derangement in female rats. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114339. [PMID: 37625474 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The impact of psychosocial stressors on cardiovascular health in women is of growing interest in both the popular and scientific literature. Rodent models are useful for providing direct experimental evidence of the adverse cardiovascular consequences of psychosocial stressors, yet studies in females are scarce. Here, we investigated the effects of repeated exposure to witness social defeat stress (WS) on cardiomyocyte contractile function and intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in young adult wild-type Groningen female rats. Female rats bore witness to an aggressive social defeat episode between two males for nine consecutive days or were exposed to a control procedure. Stress-related behaviors were assessed during the first and last WS/control exposure. Twenty-four hours after the last exposure, plasma corticosterone levels were measured, and cardiomyocytes were isolated for analyses of contractile properties and Ca2+ transients, and expression levels of proteins involved in intracellular Ca2+dynamics. The results show an impairment of the intrinsic cardiac mechanical properties and prolonged intracellular Ca2+decay in WS female rats showing social stress-related behavioral (larger amounts of burying behavior) and neuroendocrine (elevated plasma corticosterone levels) phenotypes. Further, the results implicate alterations in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase/phospholamban complex in the contractile defects described in cardiomyocytes of WS female rats. In conclusion, this study highlights the utility of the WS model as an ethologically relevant social stressor for investigating pathophysiological processes that occur in the heart of female subjects and may increase vulnerability to social stress-related cardiovascular risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Barbetti
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Rocchina Vilella
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Valeria Naponelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Iolanda Bilotti
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Magistrati
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sgoifo
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Monia Savi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Carnevali
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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Andraka E, Phillips RA, Brida KL, Day JJ. Chst9 Marks a Spatially and Transcriptionally Unique Population of Oprm1 -Expressing Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.16.562623. [PMID: 37904940 PMCID: PMC10614864 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Opioids produce addictive, analgesic, and euphoric effects via actions at mu opioid receptors (μORs). The μOR is encoded by the Oprm1 gene and is expressed in multiple brain regions that regulate reward and motivation, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Oprm1 expression in NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) mediates opioid place preference, seeking, and consumption. However, recent single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) studies in rodent, primate, and human NAc have revealed that multiple subpopulations of NAc neurons express Oprm1 mRNA, making it unclear which populations mediate diverse behaviors resulting from μOR activation. Using published snRNA-seq datasets from the rat NAc, we identified a novel population of MSNs that express the highest levels of Oprm1 of any NAc cell type. Here, we show that this population is selectively marked by expression of Chst9 , a gene encoding a carbohydrate sulfotransferase. To validate this observation and characterize spatial localization of this population in the rat NAc, we performed multiplexed RNAscope fluorescence in situ hybridization studies to detect expression of Oprm1 and Chst9 mRNA along with well-validated markers of MSNs. Notably, Chst9 + neurons exhibited more abundant expression of Oprm1 as compared to other cell types, and formed discrete cellular clusters along the medial and ventral borders of the NAc shell subregion. Moreover, CHST9 mRNA was also found to mark specific MSN populations in published human and primate snRNA-seq studies, indicating that this unique population may be conserved across species. Together, these results identify a spatially and transcriptionally distinct NAc neuron population characterized by the expression of Chst9 . The abundant expression of Oprm1 in this population and the conservation of these cells across species suggests that they may play a key functional role in opioid response and identify this subpopulation as a target for further investigation.
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Scott A, Palmer D, Newell B, Lin I, Cayton CA, Paulson A, Remde P, Richard JM. Ventral Pallidal GABAergic Neuron Calcium Activity Encodes Cue-Driven Reward Seeking and Persists in the Absence of Reward Delivery. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5191-5203. [PMID: 37339880 PMCID: PMC10342224 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0013-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Reward-seeking behavior is often initiated by environmental cues that signal reward availability. This is a necessary behavioral response; however, cue reactivity and reward-seeking behavior can become maladaptive. To better understand how cue-elicited reward seeking becomes maladaptive, it is important to understand the neural circuits involved in assigning appetitive value to rewarding cues and actions. Ventral pallidum (VP) neurons are known to contribute to cue-elicited reward-seeking behavior and have heterogeneous responses in a discriminative stimulus (DS) task. The VP neuronal subtypes and output pathways that encode distinct aspects of the DS task remain unknown. Here, we used an intersectional viral approach with fiber photometry to record bulk calcium activity in VP GABAergic (VP GABA) neurons in male and female rats as they learned and performed the DS task. We found that VP GABA neurons are excited by reward-predictive cues but not neutral cues and that this response develops over time. We also found that this cue-evoked response predicts reward-seeking behavior and that inhibiting this VP GABA activity during cue presentation decreases reward-seeking behavior. Additionally, we found increased VP GABA calcium activity at the time of expected reward delivery, which occurred even on trials when reward was omitted. Together, these findings suggest that VP GABA neurons encode reward expectation, and calcium activity in these neurons encodes the vigor of cue-elicited reward seeking.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT VP circuitry is a major driver of cue-evoked behaviors. Previous work has found that VP neurons have heterogenous responses and contributions to reward-seeking behavior. This functional heterogeneity is because of differences of neurochemical subtypes and projections of VP neurons. Understanding the heterogenous responses among and within VP neuronal cell types is a necessary step in further understanding how cue-evoked behavior becomes maladaptive. Our work explores the canonical GABAergic VP neuron and how the calcium activity of these cells encodes components of cue-evoked reward seeking, including the vigor and persistence of reward seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Scott
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Dakota Palmer
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Bailey Newell
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Iris Lin
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Christelle A Cayton
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Anika Paulson
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Paige Remde
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Jocelyn M Richard
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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Favoretto CA, Pagliusi M, Morais-Silva G. Involvement of brain cell phenotypes in stress-vulnerability and resilience. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1175514. [PMID: 37476833 PMCID: PMC10354562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1175514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders' prevalence is epidemically increasing in modern society, leading to a severe impact on individuals' well-being and a great economic burden on public resources. Based on this, it is critical to understand the mechanisms by which stress induces these disorders. The study of stress made great progress in the past decades, from deeper into the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to the understanding of the involvement of a single cell subtype on stress outcomes. In fact, many studies have used state-of-the-art tools such as chemogenetic, optogenetic, genetic manipulation, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry to investigate the role of specific cell subtypes in the stress response. In this review, we aim to gather studies addressing the involvement of specific brain cell subtypes in stress-related responses, exploring possible mechanisms associated with stress vulnerability versus resilience in preclinical models. We particularly focus on the involvement of the astrocytes, microglia, medium spiny neurons, parvalbumin neurons, pyramidal neurons, serotonergic neurons, and interneurons of different brain areas in stress-induced outcomes, resilience, and vulnerability to stress. We believe that this review can shed light on how diverse molecular mechanisms, involving specific receptors, neurotrophic factors, epigenetic enzymes, and miRNAs, among others, within these brain cell subtypes, are associated with the expression of a stress-susceptible or resilient phenotype, advancing the understanding/knowledge on the specific machinery implicate in those events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Aparecida Favoretto
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Pagliusi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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Akmese C, Sevinc C, Halim S, Unal G. Differential role of GABAergic and cholinergic ventral pallidal neurons in behavioral despair, conditioned fear memory and active coping. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110760. [PMID: 37031946 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP), a major component of the reward circuit, is well-associated with appetitive behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that this basal forebrain nucleus may have an overarching role in affective processing, including behavioral responses to aversive stimuli. We investigated this by utilizing selective immunotoxin lesions and a series of behavioral tests in adult male Wistar rats. We made bilateral GAT1-Saporin, 192-IgG-Saporin or PBS (vehicle) injections into the VP to respectively eliminate GABAergic and cholinergic neurons, and tested the animals in the forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), Morris water maze (MWM) and cued fear conditioning. Both GAT1-Saporin and 192-IgG-Saporin injections reduced behavioral despair without altering general locomotor activity. During the acquisition phase of cued fear conditioning, this antidepressant effect was accompanied by reduced freezing and increased darting in the 192-IgG-Saporin group, and increased jumping in the GAT1-Saporin group. In the extinction phase, cholinergic lesions impaired fear memory irrespective of the context, while GABAergic lesions reduced memory durability only during the early phases of extinction in a novel context. In line with this, selective cholinergic, but not GABAergic, lesions impaired spatial memory in the MWM. We observed no consistent effect in anxiety-like behavior assessed in the OFT and EPM. These findings indicate that both the GABAergic and cholinergic neuronal groups of the VP may contribute to emotion regulation through modulation of behavioral despair and acquired fear by suppressing active coping and promoting species-specific passive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cemal Akmese
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem Sevinc
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sahar Halim
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gunes Unal
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.
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Soares-Cunha C, Heinsbroek JA. Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1086053. [PMID: 36817646 PMCID: PMC9932340 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The interconnected nuclei of the ventral basal ganglia have long been identified as key regulators of motivated behavior, and dysfunction of this circuit is strongly implicated in mood and substance use disorders. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central node of the ventral basal ganglia, and recent studies have revealed complex VP cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of reward, aversion, motivation, and drug-seeking behaviors. Although the VP is canonically considered a relay and output structure for this circuit, emerging data indicate that the VP is a central hub in an extensive network for reward processing and the regulation of motivation that extends beyond classically defined basal ganglia borders. VP neurons respond temporally faster and show more advanced reward coding and prediction error processing than neurons in the upstream nucleus accumbens, and regulate the activity of the ventral mesencephalon dopamine system. This review will summarize recent findings in the literature and provide an update on the complex cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement by the VP with a specific focus on mood and substance use disorders. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which stress and drug exposure alter the functioning of the VP and produce susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Lastly, we will outline unanswered questions and identify future directions for studies necessary to further clarify the central role of VP neurons in the regulation of motivated behaviors. Significance: Research in the last decade has revealed a complex cell- and circuit-specific role for the VP in reward processing and the regulation of motivated behaviors. Novel insights obtained using cell- and circuit-specific interrogation strategies have led to a major shift in our understanding of this region. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the VP in which we integrate novel findings with the existing literature and highlight the emerging role of the VP as a linchpin of the neural systems that regulate motivation, reward, and aversion. In addition, we discuss the dysfunction of the VP in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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