Effects of acute versus repeated cocaine exposure on the expression of endocannabinoid signaling-related proteins in the mouse cerebellum

Astrocytic cannabinoid receptor 1 promotes resilience by dampening stress-induced blood-brain barrier alterations

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) alterations contribute to stress vulnerability and the development of depressive behaviors. In contrast, neurovascular adaptations underlying stress resilience remain unclear. Here we report that high expression of astrocytic cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, particularly in the end-feet ensheathing blood vessels, is associated with resilience during chronic social stress in adult male mice. Viral-mediated overexpression of Cnr1 in astrocytes of the NAc shell results in baseline anxiolytic effects and dampens stress-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in male mice. It promotes the expression of vascular-related genes and reduces astrocyte inflammatory response and morphological changes following an immune challenge with the cytokine interleukin-6, linked to stress susceptibility and mood disorders. Physical exercise and antidepressant treatment increase the expression of astrocytic Cnr1 in the perivascular region in male mice. In human tissue from male donors with major depressive disorder, we observe loss of CNR1 in the NAc astrocytes. Our findings suggest a role for the astrocytic endocannabinoid system in stress responses via modulation of the BBB.

Absence of Evidence for Sustained Effects of Daily Cannabidiol Administration on Anandamide Plasma Concentration in Individuals with Cocaine Use Disorder: Exploratory Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD) has been proposed to have a therapeutic potential over a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that CBD can increase anandamide (AEA) plasma concentration, possibly mediating some of its therapeutic properties. Whether CBD exerts such an effect on AEA in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) remains unknown. Aims: To explore the sustained effects of daily CBD administration on AEA plasma concentrations compared with placebo in CUD. Methods: We used data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating CBD's efficacy in CUD. Seventy-eight individuals were randomized to receive a daily oral dose of 800 mg CBD (n = 40) or a placebo (n = 38). Participants stayed in an inpatient detoxification setting for 10 days, after which they were followed in an outpatient setting for 12 weeks. AEA plasma concentration was measured at baseline and at 23-h post CBD ingestion on day 8 and week 4. A generalized estimating equation model was used to assess CBD's effects on AEA, and sensitivity analyses were computed using Bayesian linear regressions. Results: Sixty-four participants were included in the analysis. Similar mean AEA plasma concentrations in both treatment groups (p = 0.357) were observed. At day 8, mean AEA plasma concentrations (± standard deviation) were 0.26 (± 0.07) ng/mL in the CBD group and 0.29 (± 0.08) ng/mL in the placebo group (p = 0.832; Bayes factor [BF] = 0.190). At week 4, they were 0.27 (± 0.09) ng/mL in the CBD group and 0.30 (± 0.09) ng/mL in the placebo group (p = 0.181; BF = 0.194). Conclusion: While not excluding any potential acute and short-term effect, daily CBD administration did not exert a sustained impact on AEA plasma concentrations in individuals with CUD compared with placebo. Registration: clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02559167).

Endocannabinoid-dependent decrease of GABAergic transmission on dopaminergic neurons is associated with susceptibility to cocaine stimulant effects in pre-adolescent male MAOA hypomorphic mice exposed to early life stress

Vulnerability to cocaine use disorder depends upon a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. While early life adversity is a critical environmental vulnerability factor for drug misuse, allelic variants of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene have been shown to moderate its influence on the risk of drug-related problems. However, data on the interactions between MAOA variants and early life stress (ES) with respect to predisposition to cocaine abuse are limited. Here, we show that a mouse model capturing the interaction of genetic (low-activity alleles of the Maoa gene; MAOA^Neo) and environmental (i.e., ES) vulnerability factors displays an increased sensitivity to repeated in vivo cocaine psychomotor stimulant actions associated with a reduction of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition of dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG)-dependent form of short-term plasticity, also becomes readily expressed by dopamine neurons from male MAOA^Neo ES mice repeatedly treated with cocaine. The activation of either dopamine D2 or CB1 receptors contributes to cocaine-induced DSI expression, decreased GABA synaptic efficacy, and hyperlocomotion. Next, in vivo pharmacological enhancement of 2AG signaling during repeated cocaine exposure occludes its actions both in vivo and ex vivo. This data extends our knowledge of the multifaceted sequelae imposed by this gene-environment interaction in VTA dopamine neurons of male pre-adolescent mice and contributes to our understanding of neural mechanisms of vulnerability for early onset cocaine use.

2-(Fluoromethoxy)-4'-(S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (UCM-1306), an Orally Bioavailable Positive Allosteric Modulator of the Human Dopamine D1 Receptor for Parkinson's Disease

Tolerance development caused by dopamine replacement with l-DOPA and therapeutic drawbacks upon activation of dopaminergic receptors with orthosteric agonists reveal a significant unmet need for safe and effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In search for selective modulators of the D₁ receptor, the screening of a chemical library and subsequent medicinal chemistry program around an identified hit resulted in new synthetic compound 26 [UCM-1306, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-4′-(S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1′-biphenyl] that increases the dopamine maximal effect in a dose-dependent manner in human and mouse D₁ receptors, is inactive in the absence of dopamine, modulates dopamine affinity for the receptor, exhibits subtype selectivity, and displays low binding competition with orthosteric ligands. The new allosteric modulator potentiates cocaine-induced locomotion and enhances l-DOPA recovery of decreased locomotor activity in reserpinized mice after oral administration. The behavior of compound 26 supports the interest of a positive allosteric modulator of the D₁ receptor as a promising therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease.

Biomarkers of the Endocannabinoid System in Substance Use Disorders

Despite substance use disorders (SUD) being one of the leading causes of disability and mortality globally, available therapeutic approaches remain ineffective. The difficulty in accurately characterizing the neurobiological mechanisms involved with a purely qualitative diagnosis is an obstacle to improving the classification and treatment of SUD. In this regard, identifying central and peripheral biomarkers is essential to diagnosing the severity of drug dependence, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, predicting treatment response, and enhancing the development of safer and more effective pharmacological tools. In recent years, the crucial role that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in regulating the reinforcing and motivational properties of drugs of abuse has been described. This has led to studies characterizing ECS alterations after exposure to various substances to identify biomarkers with potential diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic utility. This review aims to compile the primary evidence available from rodent and clinical studies on how the ECS components are modified in the context of different substance-related disorders, gathering data from genetic, molecular, functional, and neuroimaging experimental approaches. Finally, this report concludes that additional translational research is needed to further characterize the modifications of the ECS in the context of SUD, and their potential usefulness in the necessary search for biomarkers.

Hippocampal Cannabinoid 1 Receptors Are Modulated Following Cocaine Self-administration in Male Rats

Cocaine addiction is a complex pathology inducing long-term neuroplastic changes that, in turn, contribute to maladaptive behaviors. This behavioral dysregulation is associated with transcriptional reprogramming in brain reward circuitry, although the mechanisms underlying this modulation remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system may play a role in this process in that cannabinoid mechanisms modulate drug reward and contribute to cocaine-induced neural adaptations. In this study, we investigated whether cocaine self-administration induces long-term adaptations, including transcriptional modifications and associated epigenetic processes. We first examined endocannabinoid gene expression in reward-related brain regions of the rat following self-administered (0.33 mg/kg intravenous, FR1, 10 days) cocaine injections. Interestingly, we found increased Cnr1 expression in several structures, including prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, dorsal striatum, hippocampus, habenula, amygdala, lateral hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area, and rostromedial tegmental nucleus, with most pronounced effects in the hippocampus. Endocannabinoid levels, measured by mass spectrometry, were also altered in this structure. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by qPCR in the hippocampus revealed that two activating histone marks, H3K4Me3 and H3K27Ac, were enriched at specific endocannabinoid genes following cocaine intake. Targeting CB1 receptors using chromosome conformation capture, we highlighted spatial chromatin re-organization in the hippocampus, as well as in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting that destabilization of the chromatin may contribute to neuronal responses to cocaine. Overall, our results highlight a key role for the hippocampus in cocaine-induced plasticity and broaden the understanding of neuronal alterations associated with endocannabinoid signaling. The latter suggests that epigenetic modifications contribute to maladaptive behaviors associated with chronic drug use.

A role for the endocannabinoid enzymes monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases in cue-induced cocaine craving following prolonged abstinence

Following exposure to drugs of abuse, long-term neuroadaptations underlie persistent risk to relapse. Endocannabinoid signaling has been associated with drug-induced neuroadaptations, but the role of lipases that mediate endocannabinoid biosynthesis and metabolism in regulating relapse behaviors following prolonged periods of drug abstinence has not been examined. Here, we investigated how pharmacological manipulation of lipases involved in regulating the expression of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) influence cocaine relapse via discrete neuroadaptations. At prolonged abstinence (30 days) from cocaine self-administration, there is an increase in the NAc levels of diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL), the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-AG, along with decreased levels of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), which hydrolyzes 2-AG. Since endocannabinoid-mediated behavioral plasticity involves phosphatase dysregulation, we examined the phosphatase calcineurin after 30 days of abstinence and found decreased expression in the NAc, which we demonstrate is regulated through the transcription factor EGR1. Intra-NAc pharmacological manipulation of DAGL and MAGL with inhibitors DO-34 and URB-602, respectively, bidirectionally regulated cue-induced cocaine seeking and altered the phosphostatus of translational initiation factor, eIF2α. Finally, we found that cocaine seeking 30 days after abstinence leads to decreased phosphorylation of eIF2α and reduced expression of its downstream target NPAS4, a protein involved in experience-dependent neuronal plasticity. Together, our findings demonstrate that lipases that regulate 2-AG expression influence transcriptional and translational changes in the NAc related to drug relapse vulnerability.

The Cerebellum on Cocaine

The traditional cerebellum’s role has been linked to the high computational demands for sensorimotor control. However, several findings have pointed to its involvement in executive and emotional functions in the last decades. First in 2009 and then, in 2016, we raised why we should consider the cerebellum when thinking about drug addiction. A decade later, mounting evidence strongly suggests the cerebellar involvement in this disorder. Nevertheless, direct evidence is still partial and related mainly to drug-induced reward memory, but recent results about cerebellar functions may provide new insights into its role in addiction. The present review does not intend to be a compelling revision on available findings, as we did in the two previous reviews. This minireview focuses on specific findings of the cerebellum’s role in drug-related reward memories and the way ahead for future research. The results discussed here provide grounds for involving the cerebellar cortex’s apical region in regulating behavior driven by drug-cue associations. They also suggest that the cerebellar cortex dysfunction may facilitate drug-induced learning by increasing glutamatergic output from the deep cerebellar nucleus (DCN) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and neural activity in its projecting areas.

Structural and metabolic differentiation between bipolar disorder with psychosis and substance-induced psychosis: An integrated MRI/PET study

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder (BD) may be characterized by the presence of psychotic symptoms and comorbid substance abuse. In this context, structural and metabolic dysfunctions have been reported in both BD with psychosis and addiction, separately. In this study, we aimed at identifying neural substrates differentiating psychotic BD, with or without substance abuse, versus substance-induced psychosis (SIP) by coupling, for the first time, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

METHODS

Twenty-seven BD type I psychotic patients with (n=10) or without (n=17) substance abuse, 16 SIP patients and 54 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. 3T MRI and 18-FDG-PET scanning were acquired.

RESULTS

Gray matter (GM) volume and cerebral metabolism reductions in temporal cortices were observed in all patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a distinct pattern of fronto-limbic alterations were found in patients with substance abuse. Specifically, BD patients with substance abuse showed volume reductions in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, insula and thalamus, whereas SIP patients in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate. Common alterations in cerebellum, parahippocampus and posterior cingulate were found in both BD with substance abuse and SIP. Finally, a unique pattern of GM volumes reduction, with concomitant increased of striatal metabolism, were observed in SIP patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to shed light on the identification of common and distinct neural markers associated with bipolar psychosis and substance abuse. Future longitudinal studies should explore the effect of single substances of abuse in patients at the first-episode of BD and substance-induced psychosis.

Have we been ignoring the elephant in the room? Seven arguments for considering the cerebellum as part of addiction circuitry

Addiction involves alterations in multiple brain regions that are associated with functions such as memory, motivation and executive control. Indeed, it is now well accepted that addictive drugs produce long-lasting molecular and structural plasticity changes in corticostriatal-limbic loops. However, there are brain regions that might be relevant to addiction other than the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and basal ganglia. In addition to these circuits, a growing amount of data suggests the involvement of the cerebellum in many of the brain functions affected in addicts, though this region has been overlooked, traditionally, in the addiction field. Therefore, in the present review we provide seven arguments as to why we should consider the cerebellum in drug addiction. We present and discuss compelling evidence about the effects of drugs of abuse on cerebellar plasticity, the involvement of the cerebellum in drug-induced cue-related memories, and several findings showing that the instrumental memory and executive functions also recruit the cerebellar circuitry. In addition, a hypothetical model of the cerebellum's role relative to other areas within corticostriatal-limbic networks is also provided. Our goal is not to review animal and human studies exhaustively but to support the inclusion of cerebellar alterations as a part of the physiopathology of addiction disorder.

Endocannabinoid signalling in reward and addiction

Brain endocannabinoid (eCB) signalling influences the motivation for natural rewards (such as palatable food, sexual activity and social interaction) and modulates the rewarding effects of addictive drugs. Pathological forms of natural and drug-induced reward are associated with dysregulated eCB signalling that may derive from pre-existing genetic factors or from prolonged drug exposure. Impaired eCB signalling contributes to dysregulated synaptic plasticity, increased stress responsivity, negative emotional states and cravings that propel addiction. Understanding the contributions of eCB disruptions to behavioural and physiological traits provides insight into the eCB influence on addiction vulnerability.

Cocaine promotes oxidative stress and microglial-macrophage activation in rat cerebellum

Different mechanisms have been suggested for cocaine neurotoxicity, including oxidative stress alterations. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), considered a sensor of oxidative stress and inflammation, is involved in drug toxicity and addiction. NF-κB is a key mediator for immune responses that induces microglial/macrophage activation under inflammatory processes and neuronal injury/degeneration. Although cerebellum is commonly associated to motor control, muscular tone, and balance. Its relation with addiction is getting relevance, being associated to compulsive and perseverative behaviors. Some reports indicate that cerebellar microglial activation induced by cannabis or ethanol, promote cerebellar alterations and these alterations could be associated to addictive-related behaviors. After considering the effects of some drugs on cerebellum, the aim of the present work analyzes pro-inflammatory changes after cocaine exposure. Rats received daily 15 mg/kg cocaine i.p., for 18 days. Reduced and oxidized forms of glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and glutamate were determined in cerebellar homogenates. NF-κB activity, CD68, and GFAP expression were determined. Cerebellar GPx activity and GSH/GSSG ratio are significantly decreased after cocaine exposure. A significant increase of glutamate concentration is also observed. Interestingly, increased NF-κB activity is also accompanied by an increased expression of the lysosomal mononuclear phagocytic marker ED1 without GFAP alterations. Current trends in addiction biology are focusing on the role of cerebellum on addictive behaviors. Cocaine-induced cerebellar changes described herein fit with previosus data showing cerebellar alterations on addict subjects and support the proposed role of cerebelum in addiction.

Effects of rimonabant on the development of single dose-induced behavioral sensitization to ethanol, morphine and cocaine in mice

RATIONALE

The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the neurobiological mechanism underlying drug addiction, especially the primary rewarding dopamine-dependent processes. Therefore, endocannabinoid receptor antagonists, such as the CB1 cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant, have been proposed as candidates for preventive addiction therapies.

OBJECTIVES

Investigate the possible involvement of CB1 receptors in the development of behavioral sensitization to ethanol, morphine and cocaine in mice.

METHODS

We compared the effects of different doses of rimonabant (0.3, 1, 3 and 10mg/kg) on spontaneous locomotor activity in the open-field, hyperlocomotion induced by acute administration of ethanol (1.8g/kg), morphine (20mg/kg) or cocaine (10mg/kg) and on subsequent drug-induced locomotor sensitization using a two-injection protocol in mice. We also investigated a possible depressive-like effect of an acute rimonabant challenge at the highest dose and its potential anxiogenic property.

RESULTS

At the highest dose, rimonabant abolished ethanol- and cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion and behavioral sensitization without modifying spontaneous and central locomotor activity or inducing depressive-like behavior on the forced swim test in mice. The other doses of rimonabant also selectively blocked acute ethanol-induced central hyperlocomotion. Although rimonabant at 0.3 and 1mg/kg potentiated the central hyperlocomotion induced by acute morphine injection, it was effective in attenuating morphine-induced behavioral sensitization at all doses.

CONCLUSIONS

Because the neural basis of behavioral sensitization has been proposed to correspond to some components of addiction, our findings indicate that the endocannabinoid system might be involved in ethanol, cocaine and morphine abuse.