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Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. bioRxiv 2024:2023.11.20.567903. [PMID: 38045379 PMCID: PMC10690210 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.20.567903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. Proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. Activity of the PFC is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), a key subpopulation of fast-spiking GABAergic cells that regulate cortical excitability through direct innervations onto the perisomatic regions of nearby pyramidal cells. Recent rodent studies have identified notable sex differences in PV-IN activity and adaptations to experiences such as binge drinking. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-specific regulation of PFC PV-IN function. Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology and selective pharmacology, we report that PV-INs from female mice are more excitable than those from males. Moreover, we find that mGlu1 and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate cell excitability, excitatory drive, and endocannabinoid signaling at PFC PV-INs in a sex-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of mGlu5 receptors from PV-expressing cells abrogates all sex differences observed in PV-IN membrane and synaptic physiology. Lastly, we report that female, but not male, PV-mGlu5-/- mice exhibit decreased voluntary drinking on an intermittent access schedule, which could be related to changes in ethanols stimulant properties. Importantly, these studies identify mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors as candidate signaling molecules involved in sex differences in PV-IN activity and behaviors relevant for alcohol use.
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Mulholland PJ, Padula AE, Wilhelm LJ, Park B, Grant KA, Ferguson BM, Cervera-Juanes R. Cross-species epigenetic regulation of nucleus accumbens KCNN3 transcripts by excessive ethanol drinking. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:364. [PMID: 38012158 PMCID: PMC10682415 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02676-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms driving functional adaptations in neuronal excitability and excessive alcohol intake are poorly understood. Small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa2 or SK) channels encoded by the KCNN family of genes have emerged from preclinical studies as a key contributor to alcohol-induced functional neuroadaptations in alcohol-drinking monkeys and alcohol-dependent mice. Here, this cross-species analysis focused on KCNN3 DNA methylation, gene expression, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, including alternative promoters in KCNN3, that could influence surface trafficking and function of KCa2 channels. Bisulfite sequencing analysis of the nucleus accumbens tissue from alcohol-drinking monkeys and alcohol-dependent mice revealed a differentially methylated region in exon 1A of KCNN3 that overlaps with a predicted promoter sequence. The hypermethylation of KCNN3 in the accumbens paralleled an increase in the expression of alternative transcripts that encode apamin-insensitive and dominant-negative KCa2 channel isoforms. A polymorphic repeat in macaque KCNN3 encoded by exon 1 did not correlate with alcohol drinking. At the protein level, KCa2.3 channel expression in the accumbens was significantly reduced in very heavy-drinking monkeys. Together, our cross-species findings on epigenetic dysregulation of KCNN3 represent a complex mechanism that utilizes alternative promoters to potentially impact the firing of accumbens neurons. Thus, these results provide support for hypermethylation of KCNN3 as a possible key molecular mechanism underlying harmful alcohol intake and alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Audrey E Padula
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Larry J Wilhelm
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Atrium Health Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Byung Park
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Department of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Betsy M Ferguson
- Department of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Rita Cervera-Juanes
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Atrium Health Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
- Center for Precision Medicine, Atrium Health Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
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Rizavi HS, Gavin HE, Krishnan HR, Gavin DP, Sharma RP. Ethanol- and PARP-Mediated Regulation of Ribosome-Associated Long Non-Coding RNA (lncRNA) in Pyramidal Neurons. Noncoding RNA 2023; 9:72. [PMID: 37987368 PMCID: PMC10661276 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna9060072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Although, by definition, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are not translated, they are sometimes associated with ribosomes. In fact, some estimates suggest the existence of more than 50 K lncRNA molecules that could encode for small peptides. We examined the effects of an ethanol and Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (ABT-888) on ribosome-bound lncRNAs. Mice were administered via intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) either normal saline (CTL) or ethanol (EtOH) twice a day for four consecutive days. On the fourth day, a sub-group of mice administered with ethanol also received ABT-888 (EtOH+ABT). Ribosome-bound lncRNAs in CaMKIIα-expressing pyramidal neurons were measured using the Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP) technique. Our findings show that EtOH altered the attachment of 107 lncRNA transcripts, while EtOH+ABT altered 60 lncRNAs. Among these 60 lncRNAs, 49 were altered by both conditions, while EtOH+ABT uniquely altered the attachment of 11 lncRNA transcripts that EtOH alone did not affect. To validate these results, we selected eight lncRNAs (Mir124-2hg, 5430416N02Rik, Snhg17, Snhg12, Snhg1, Mir9-3hg, Gas5, and 1110038B12Rik) for qRT-PCR analysis. The current study demonstrates that ethanol-induced changes in lncRNA attachment to ribosomes can be mitigated by the addition of the PARP inhibitor ABT-888.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hooriyah S. Rizavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (H.S.R.); (H.E.G.)
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Hannah E. Gavin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (H.S.R.); (H.E.G.)
| | - Harish R. Krishnan
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - David P. Gavin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (H.S.R.); (H.E.G.)
| | - Rajiv P. Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (H.S.R.); (H.E.G.)
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Juanes RC, Mulholland P, Padula A, Wilhelm L, Park B, Grant K, Ferguson B. Cross-species epigenetic regulation of nucleus accumbens KCNN3 transcripts by excessive ethanol drinking. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3315122. [PMID: 37790552 PMCID: PMC10543433 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3315122/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms driving functional adaptations in neuronal excitability and excessive alcohol intake are poorly understood. Small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa2 or SK) channels encoded by the KCNN family of genes have emerged from preclinical studies as a key contributor to alcohol-induced functional neuroadaptations in alcohol-drinking monkeys and alcohol dependent mice. Here, this cross-species analysis focused on KCNN3 DNA methylation, gene expression, and single nucleotide polymorphisms including alternative promoters in KCNN3 that could influence surface trafficking and function of KCa2 channels. Bisulfite sequencing analysis of the nucleus accumbens tissue from alcohol-drinking monkeys and alcohol dependent mice revealed a differentially methylated region in exon 1A of KCNN3 that overlaps with a predicted promoter sequence. The hypermethylation of KCNN3 in the accumbens paralleled an increase in expression of alternative transcripts that encode apamin-insensitive and dominant-negative KCa2 channel isoforms. A polymorphic repeat in macaque KCNN3 encoded by exon 1 did not correlate with alcohol drinking. At the protein level, KCa2.3 channel expression in the accumbens was significantly reduced in very heavy drinking monkeys. Together, our cross-species findings on epigenetic dysregulation of KCNN3 represent a complex mechanism that utilizes alternative promoters to impact firing of accumbens neurons. Thus, these results provide support for hypermethylation of KCNN3 as a possible key molecular mechanism underlying harmful alcohol intake and alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Betsy Ferguson
- Oregon Health & Sciences University/Oregon National Primate Research Center
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Zhang M, Luo Y, Wang J, Sun Y, Xie B, Zhang L, Cong B, Ma C, Wen D. Roles of nucleus accumbens shell small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in the conditioned fear freezing. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 163:180-194. [PMID: 37216772 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder caused by stressful events, is characterized by long-lasting fear memory. The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS) is a key brain region that regulates fear-associated behavior. Small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) play a key role in regulating the excitability of NAcS medium spiny neurons (MSNs) but their mechanisms of action in fear freezing are unclear. METHOD We established an animal model of traumatic memory using conditioned fear freezing paradigm, and investigated the alterations in SK channels of NAc MSNs subsequent to fear conditioning in mice. We then utilized an adeno-associated virus (AAV) transfection system to overexpress the SK3 subunit and explore the function of the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel in conditioned fear freezing. RESULTS Fear conditioning activated NAcS MSNs with enhanced excitability and reduced the SK channel-mediated medium after-hyperpolarization (mAHP) amplitude. The expression of NAcS SK3 were also reduced time-dependently. The overexpression of NAcS SK3 impaired conditioned fear consolidation without affecting conditioned fear expression, and blocked fear conditioning-induced alterations in NAcS MSNs excitability and mAHP amplitude. Additionally, the amplitudes of mEPSC, AMPAR/NMDAR ratio, and membrane surface GluA1/A2 expression in NAcS MSNs was increased by fear conditioning and returned to normal levels upon SK3 overexpression, indicating that fear conditioning-induced decrease of SK3 expression caused postsynaptic excitation by facilitating AMPAR transmission to the membrane. CONCLUSION These findings show that the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel plays a critical role in conditioned fear consolidation and that it may influence PTSD pathogenesis, making it a potential therapeutic target against PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglong Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yixiao Luo
- Hunan Province People's Hospital, The First-Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Jian Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yufei Sun
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Bing Xie
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Ludi Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Bin Cong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Chunling Ma
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
| | - Di Wen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
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Cai X, Wu M, Zhang Z, Liu H, Huang S, Song J, Ren S, Huang Y. Electroacupuncture alleviated depression‐like behaviors in ventromedial prefrontal cortex of chronic unpredictable mild stress‐induced rats: Increasing synaptic transmission and phosphorylating dopamine transporter. CNS Neurosci Ther 2023. [PMID: 37002793 PMCID: PMC10401110 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Electroacupuncture (EA) shows advantages in both clinical practice and depression animal models. Dopaminergic-related dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may be a hidden antidepressant mechanism of EA, where dopamine transporter (DAT) plays an essential role. This study aimed to investigate the synaptic transmission and DAT-related changes of EA in depression. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 3-week chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The successfully modeled rats were then randomly and equally assigned to CUMS, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and EA or SSRI + EA groups, followed by a 2-week treatment respectively. After monitoring body weight and behavioral tests of all rats, the ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) tissue was collected for electrophysiology and the expression detection of DAT, phosphorylated DAT (p-DAT), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), and trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1). RESULTS Depressive-like behaviors induced by CUMS were alleviated by EA, SSRI, and SSRI + EA treatments through behavioral tests. Compared with CUMS group, EA improved synaptic transmission in vmPFC by upregulating spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents amplitude. Molecularly, EA reversed the increased total DAT and p-DAT expression as well as the decreased ratio of p-DAT/total DAT along with the activation of TAAR1, cAMP, and PKA in vmPFC. CONCLUSION We speculated that the antidepressant effect of EA was associated with enhanced synaptic transmission in vmPFC, and the upregulated phosphorylation of DAT relevant to TAAR1, cAMP, and PKA may be the potential mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Cai
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Mei Wu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Zhinan Zhang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Huacong Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Shengtao Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Jia Song
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Siqiang Ren
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
| | - Yong Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 Guangdong China
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Krishnan HR, Vallerini GP, Gavin HE, Guizzetti M, Rizavi HS, Gavin DP, Sharma RP. Effects of alcohol and PARP inhibition on RNA ribosomal engagement in cortical excitatory neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1125160. [PMID: 37113267 PMCID: PMC10126255 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1125160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We report on the effects of ethanol (EtOH) and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition on RNA ribosomal engagement, as a proxy for protein translation, in prefrontal cortical (PFC) pyramidal neurons. We hypothesized that EtOH induces a shift in RNA ribosomal-engagement (RE) in PFC pyramidal neurons, and that many of these changes can be reversed using a PARP inhibitor. We utilized the translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) technique to isolate cell type-specific RNA. Transgenic mice with EGFP-tagged Rpl10a ribosomal protein expressed only in CaMKIIα-expressing pyramidal cells were administered EtOH or normal saline (CTL) i.p. twice a day, for four consecutive days. On the fourth day, a sub-group of mice that received EtOH in the previous three days received a combination of EtOH and the PARP inhibitor ABT-888 (EtOH + ABT-888). PFC tissue was processed to isolate both, CaMKIIα pyramidal cell-type specific ribosomal-engaged RNA (TRAP-RNA), as well as genomically expressed total-RNA from whole tissue, which were submitted for RNA-seq. We observed EtOH effects on RE transcripts in pyramidal cells and furthermore treatment with a PARP inhibitor "reversed" these effects. The PARP inhibitor ABT-888 reversed 82% of the EtOH-induced changes in RE (TRAP-RNA), and similarly 83% in the total-RNA transcripts. We identified Insulin Receptor Signaling as highly enriched in the ethanol-regulated and PARP-reverted RE pool and validated five participating genes from this pathway. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the effects of EtOH on excitatory neuron RE transcripts from total-RNA and provides insights into PARP-mediated regulation of EtOH effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish R. Krishnan
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gian Paolo Vallerini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hannah E. Gavin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Marina Guizzetti
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Hooriyah S. Rizavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - David P. Gavin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: David P. Gavin,
| | - Rajiv P. Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Rajiv P. Sharma,
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Joffe ME, Santiago CI, Vermudez SAD, Fisher NM, Dogra S, Niswender CM, Jeffrey Conn P. Frontal cortex genetic ablation of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 3 (mGlu(3)) impairs postsynaptic plasticity and modulates affective behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2148-57. [PMID: 34035469 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and translational studies suggest that prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysregulation is a hallmark feature of several affective disorders. Thus, investigating the mechanisms involved in the regulation of PFC function and synaptic plasticity could aid in developing new medications. In recent years, the mGlu2 and mGlu3 subtypes of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors have emerged as exciting potential targets for the treatment of affective disorders, as mGlu2/3 antagonists exert antidepressant-like effects across many rodent models. Several recent studies suggest that presynaptic mGlu2 receptors may contribute to these effects by regulating excitatory transmission at synapses from the thalamus to the PFC. Interestingly, we found that mGlu3 receptors also inhibit excitatory drive to the PFC but act by inducing long-term depression (LTD) at amygdala-PFC synapses. It remains unclear, however, whether blockade of presynaptic, postsynaptic, or glial mGlu3 receptors contribute to long-term effects on PFC circuit function and antidepressant-like effects of mGlu2/3 antagonists. To address these outstanding questions, we leveraged transgenic Grm3fl/fl mice and viral-mediated gene transfer to genetically ablate mGlu3 receptors from pyramidal cells in the frontal cortex of adult mice of all sexes. Consistent with a role for mGlu3 in PFC pyramidal cells, mGlu3-dependent amygdala-cortical LTD was eliminated following mGlu3 receptor knockdown. Furthermore, knockdown mice displayed a modest, task-specific anxiolytic phenotype and decreased passive coping behaviors. These studies reveal that postsynaptic mGlu3 receptors are critical for mGlu3-dependent LTD and provide convergent genetic evidence suggesting that modulating cortical mGlu3 receptors may provide a promising new approach for the treatment of mood disorders.
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Dwivedi D, Bhalla US. Physiology and Therapeutic Potential of SK, H, and M Medium AfterHyperPolarization Ion Channels. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:658435. [PMID: 34149352 PMCID: PMC8209339 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.658435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
SK, HCN, and M channels are medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP)-mediating ion channels. The three channels co-express in various brain regions, and their collective action strongly influences cellular excitability. However, significant diversity exists in the expression of channel isoforms in distinct brain regions and various subcellular compartments, which contributes to an equally diverse set of specific neuronal functions. The current review emphasizes the collective behavior of the three classes of mAHP channels and discusses how these channels function together although they play specialized roles. We discuss the biophysical properties of these channels, signaling pathways that influence the activity of the three mAHP channels, various chemical modulators that alter channel activity and their therapeutic potential in treating various neurological anomalies. Additionally, we discuss the role of mAHP channels in the pathophysiology of various neurological diseases and how their modulation can alleviate some of the symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanjali Dwivedi
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India.,Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Stanley Center at the Broad, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Upinder S Bhalla
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India
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Domi E, Domi A, Adermark L, Heilig M, Augier E. Neurobiology of alcohol seeking behavior. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1585-1614. [PMID: 33704789 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse consequences. A main challenge of addiction treatment is to prevent relapse, which occurs in more than >50% of newly abstinent patients with alcohol disorder within 3 months. In people suffering from alcohol addiction, stressful events, drug-associated cues and contexts, or re-exposure to a small amount of alcohol trigger a chain of behaviors that frequently culminates in relapse. In this review, we first present the preclinical models that were developed for the study of alcohol seeking behavior, namely the reinstatement model of alcohol relapse and compulsive alcohol seeking under a chained schedule of reinforcement. We then provide an overview of the neurobiological findings obtained using these animal models, focusing on the role of opioids systems, corticotropin-release hormone and neurokinins, followed by dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurotransmissions in alcohol seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ana Domi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louise Adermark
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Eric Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Cannady R, Nguyen T, Padula AE, Rinker JA, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. Interaction of chronic intermittent ethanol and repeated stress on structural and functional plasticity in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Neuropharmacology 2021; 182:108396. [PMID: 33181147 PMCID: PMC7942177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a risk factor that plays a considerable role in the development and maintenance of alcohol (ethanol) abuse and relapse. Preclinical studies examining ethanol-stress interactions have demonstrated elevated ethanol drinking, cognitive deficits, and negative affective behaviors in mice. However, the neural adaptations in prefrontal cortical regions that drive these aberrant behaviors produced by ethanol-stress interactions are unknown. In this study, male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) and repeated forced swim stress (FSS). After two cycles of CIE x FSS, brain slices containing the prelimbic (PrL) and infralimbic (IfL) cortex were prepared for analysis of adaptations in dendritic spines and synaptic plasticity. In the PrL cortex, total spine density was increased in mice exposed to CIE. Immediately following induction of long-term potentiation (LTP), the fEPSP slope was increased in the PrL of CIE x FSS treated mice, indicative of a presynaptic adaptation on post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). In the IfL cortex, CIE exposure regardless of FSS experience resulted in an increase in spine density. FSS alone or when combined with CIE exposure increased PTP following LTP induction. Repeated FSS episodes increased IfL cortical paired-pulse facilitation, a second measure of presynaptic plasticity. In summary, CIE exposure resulted in structural adaptations while repeated stress exposure drove metaplastic changes in presynaptic function, demonstrating distinct morphological and functional changes in PrL and IfL cortical neurons. Thus, the structural and functional adaptations may be one mechanism underlying the development of excessive drinking and cognitive deficits associated with ethanol-stress interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald Cannady
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, 1601 East Market Street, Barnes Hall 215, Greensboro, NC, 27411, USA
| | - Tiffany Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Audrey E Padula
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
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12
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13
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Abstract
Developmental toxicity and its affiliation to long-term health, particularly neurodegenerative disease (ND) has attracted significant attentions in recent years. There is, however, a significant gap in current models to track longitudinal changes arising from developmental toxicity. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived neuronal culture has allowed for more complex and functionally active in vitro neuronal models. Coupled with recent progress in the detection of ND biomarkers, we are equipped with promising new tools to understand neurotoxicity arising from developmental exposure. This review provides a brief overview of current progress in neuronal culture derived from iPSC and in ND markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junkai Xie
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Kyle Wettschurack
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Chongli Yuan
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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14
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Avchalumov Y, Oliver RJ, Trenet W, Heyer Osorno RE, Sibley BD, Purohit DC, Contet C, Roberto M, Woodward JJ, Mandyam CD. Chronic ethanol exposure differentially alters neuronal function in the medial prefrontal cortex and dentate gyrus. Neuropharmacology 2020; 185:108438. [PMID: 33333103 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in the function of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus have been implicated in underlying the relapse to alcohol seeking behaviors in humans and animal models of moderate to severe alcohol use disorders (AUD). Here we used chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure (CIE), 21d protracted abstinence following CIE (21d AB), and re-exposure to one vapor session during protracted abstinence (re-exposure) to evaluate the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on basal synaptic function, neuronal excitability and expression of key synaptic proteins that play a role in neuronal excitability in the medial PFC (mPFC) and dentate gyrus (DG). CIE consistently enhanced excitability of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the mPFC and granule cell neurons in the DG. In the DG, this effect persisted during 21d AB. Re-exposure did not enhance excitability, suggesting resistance to vapor-induced effects. Analysis of action potential kinetics revealed that altered afterhyperpolarization, rise time and decay time constants are associated with the altered excitability during CIE, 21d AB and re-exposure. Molecular adaptations that may underlie increases in neuronal excitability under these different conditions were identified. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction of large-conductance potassium (BK) channel subunit mRNA in PFC and DG tissue homogenates did not show altered expression patterns of BK subunits. Western blotting demonstrates enhanced phosphorylation of Ca2⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and reduced phosphorylation of glutamate receptor GluN2A/2B subunits. These results suggest a novel relationship between activity of CaMKII and GluN receptors in the mPFC and DG, and neuronal excitability in these brain regions in the context of moderate to severe AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wulfran Trenet
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | | | | | | | - Candice Contet
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Chitra D Mandyam
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA; Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
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15
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Padula AE, Rinker JA, Lopez MF, Mulligan MK, Williams RW, Becker HC, Mulholland PJ. Bioinformatics identification and pharmacological validation of Kcnn3/K Ca2 channels as a mediator of negative affective behaviors and excessive alcohol drinking in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:414. [PMID: 33247097 PMCID: PMC7699620 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01099-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders are often comorbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and play a considerable role in the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence and relapse. Because of this high comorbidity, it is necessary to determine shared and unique genetic factors driving heavy drinking and negative affective behaviors. In order to identify novel pharmacogenetic targets, a bioinformatics analysis was used to quantify the expression of amygdala K+ channel genes that covary with anxiety-related phenotypes in the well-phenotyped and fully sequenced family of BXD strains. We used a model of stress-induced escalation of drinking in alcohol-dependent mice to measure negative affective behaviors during abstinence. A pharmacological approach was used to validate the key bioinformatics findings in alcohol-dependent, stressed mice. Amygdalar expression of Kcnn3 correlated significantly with 40 anxiety-associated phenotypes. Further examination of Kcnn3 expression revealed a strong eigentrait for anxiety-like behaviors and negative correlations with binge-like and voluntary alcohol drinking. Mice treated with chronic intermittent alcohol exposure and repeated swim stress consumed more alcohol in their home cages and showed hypophagia on the novelty-suppressed feeding test during abstinence. Pharmacologically targeting Kcnn gene products with the KCa2 (SK) channel-positive modulator 1-EBIO decreased drinking and reduced feeding latency in alcohol-dependent, stressed mice. Collectively, these validation studies provide central nervous system links into the covariance of stress, negative affective behaviors, and AUD in the BXD strains. Further, the bioinformatics discovery tool is effective in identifying promising targets (i.e., KCa2 channels) for treating alcohol dependence exacerbated by comorbid mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey E Padula
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Megan K Mulligan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, 38163, USA
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, 38163, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
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16
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Smiley CE, McGonigal JT, Valvano T, Newsom RJ, Otero N, Gass JT. The infralimbic cortex and mGlu5 mediate the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on fear learning and memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3417-33. [PMID: 32767063 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05622-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often occur comorbidly. While the incidence of these disorders is increasing, there is little investigation into the interacting neural mechanisms between these disorders. These studies aim to identify cognitive deficits that occur as a consequence of fear and ethanol exposure, implement a novel pharmaceutical intervention, and determine relevant underlying neurocircuitry. Additionally, due to clinical sex differences in PTSD prevalence and alcohol abuse, these studies examine the nature of this relationship in rodent models. METHODS Animals were exposed to a model of PTSD+AUD using auditory fear conditioning followed by chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE). Then, rats received extinction training consisting of multiple conditioned stimulus presentations in absence of the shock. Extinction recall and context-induced freezing were measured in subsequent tests. CDPPB, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) positive allosteric modulator, was used to treat these deficits, and region-specific effects were determined using microinjections. RESULTS These studies determined that CIE exposure led to deficits in fear extinction learning and heightened context-induced freezing while sex differences emerged in fear conditioning and extinction cue recall tests. Furthermore, using CDPPB, these studies found that enhancement of infralimbic (IfL) mGlu5 activity was able to recover CIE-induced deficits in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS These studies show that CIE induces deficits in fear-related behaviors and that enhancement of IfL glutamatergic activity can facilitate learning during extinction. Additionally, we identify novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of individuals who suffer from PTSD and AUD.
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17
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Qu L, Wang Y, Li Y, Wang X, Li N, Ge S, Wang J, Wang GJ, Volkow ND, Lang B, Wang P, Wu H, Zeng J, Fu J, Li J, Zhang Y, Wang X. Decreased Neuronal Excitability in Medial Prefrontal Cortex during Morphine Withdrawal is associated with enhanced SK channel activity and upregulation of small GTPase Rac1. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:7369-7383. [PMID: 32641997 PMCID: PMC7330845 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) play a role in the disruption of control-reward circuits in opioid addiction. Small Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium (SK) channels in the mPFC have been implicated in neuronal excitability changes during morphine withdrawal. However, the mechanism that modulates SK channels during withdrawal is still unknown. Methods: Rats were exposed for one week to daily morphine injections (10 mg·kg-1 s.c.) followed by conditional place preference (CPP) assessment. One week after withdrawal, electrophysiological, morphological and molecular biological methods were applied to investigate the effects of morphine on SK channels in mPFC, including infralimbic (IL), prelimbic (PrL) cortices and NAc (core and shell). We verified the hypothesis that Rac1, a member of Rho family of small GTPases, implicated in SK channel regulation, modulate SK channel neuroadaptations during opiate withdrawal. Results: One week after morphine withdrawal, the neuronal excitability of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in IL was decreased, but not in PrL. Whereas, the excitability was increased in NAc-shell, but not in NAc-core. In mPFC, the expression of the SK3 subunit was enhanced after one-week of withdrawal compared to controls. In the IL, Rac1 signaling was increased during withdrawal, and the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 disrupted SK current, which increased neuronal firing. Suppression of Rac1 inhibited morphine-induced CPP and expression of SK channels in IL. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential value of SK channels and the upstream molecule Rac1, which may throw light on the therapeutic mechanism of neuromodulation treatment for opioid dependence.
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18
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Giacometti LL, Barker JM. Sex differences in the glutamate system: Implications for addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:157-168. [PMID: 32173404 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and preclinical research have identified sex differences in substance use and addiction-related behaviors. Historically, substance use disorders are more prevalent in men than women, though this gap is closing. Despite this difference, women appear to be more susceptible to the effects of many drugs and progress to substance abuse treatment more quickly than men. While the glutamate system is a key regulator of addiction-related behaviors, much of the work implicating glutamate signaling and glutamatergic circuits has been conducted in men and male rodents. An increasing number of studies have identified sex differences in drug-induced glutamate alterations as well as sex and estrous cycle differences in drug seeking behaviors. This review will describe sex differences in the glutamate system with an emphasis on implications for substance use disorders, highlighting the gaps in our current understanding of how innate and drug-induced alterations in the glutamate system may contribute to sex differences in addiction-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L Giacometti
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, United States.
| | - J M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, United States.
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19
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Cingolani LA, Vitale C, Dityatev A. Intra- and Extracellular Pillars of a Unifying Framework for Homeostatic Plasticity: A Crosstalk Between Metabotropic Receptors and Extracellular Matrix. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:513. [PMID: 31803023 PMCID: PMC6877475 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of chronic changes in incoming sensory inputs, neuronal networks are capable of maintaining stable conditions of electrical activity over prolonged periods of time by adjusting synaptic strength, to amplify or dampen incoming inputs [homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP)], or by altering the intrinsic excitability of individual neurons [homeostatic intrinsic plasticity (HIP)]. Emerging evidence suggests a synergistic interplay between extracellular matrix (ECM) and metabotropic receptors in both forms of homeostatic plasticity. Activation of dopaminergic, serotonergic, or glutamate metabotropic receptors stimulates intracellular signaling through calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, protein kinase A, protein kinase C, and inositol trisphosphate receptors, and induces changes in expression of ECM molecules and proteolysis of both ECM molecules (lecticans) and ECM receptors (NPR, CD44). The resulting remodeling of perisynaptic and synaptic ECM provides permissive conditions for HSP and plays an instructive role by recruiting additional signaling cascades, such as those through metabotropic glutamate receptors and integrins. The superimposition of all these signaling events determines intracellular and diffusional trafficking of ionotropic glutamate receptors, resulting in HSP and modulation of conditions for inducing Hebbian synaptic plasticity (i.e., metaplasticity). It also controls cell-surface delivery and activity of voltage- and Ca2+-gated ion channels, resulting in HIP. These mechanisms may modify epileptogenesis and become a target for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo A. Cingolani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carmela Vitale
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alexander Dityatev
- Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
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20
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Linsenbardt DN, Timme NM, Lapish CC. Encoding of the Intent to Drink Alcohol by the Prefrontal Cortex Is Blunted in Rats with a Family History of Excessive Drinking. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO. [PMID: 31358511 DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0489-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in guiding decision making, and its function is altered by alcohol use and an individual's innate risk for excessive alcohol drinking. The primary goal of this work was to determine how neural activity in the PFC guides the decision to drink. Towards this goal, the within-session changes in neural activity were measured from medial PFC (mPFC) of rats performing a drinking procedure that allowed them to consume or abstain from alcohol in a self-paced manner. Recordings were obtained from rats that either lacked or expressed an innate risk for excessive alcohol intake, Wistar or alcohol-preferring (P) rats, respectively. Wistar rats exhibited patterns of neural activity consistent with the intention to drink or abstain from drinking, whereas these patterns were blunted or absent in P rats. Collectively, these data indicate that neural activity patterns in mPFC associated with the intention to drink alcohol are influenced by innate risk for excessive alcohol drinking. This observation may indicate a lack of control over the decision to drink by this otherwise well-validated supervisory brain region.
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21
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Abstract
The three small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (KCa2) channels and the related intermediate-conductance KCa3.1 channel are voltage-independent K+ channels that mediate calcium-induced membrane hyperpolarization. When intracellular calcium increases in the channel vicinity, it calcifies the flexible N lobe of the channel-bound calmodulin, which then swings over to the S4-S5 linker and opens the channel. KCa2 and KCa3.1 channels are highly druggable and offer multiple binding sites for venom peptides and small-molecule blockers as well as for positive- and negative-gating modulators. In this review, we briefly summarize the physiological role of KCa channels and then discuss the pharmacophores and the mechanism of action of the most commonly used peptidic and small-molecule KCa2 and KCa3.1 modulators. Finally, we describe the progress that has been made in advancing KCa3.1 blockers and KCa2.2 negative- and positive-gating modulators toward the clinic for neurological and cardiovascular diseases and discuss the remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
| | - Heesung Shim
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
| | | | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
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22
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Borsoi M, Manduca A, Bara A, Lassalle O, Pelissier-Alicot AL, Manzoni OJ. Sex Differences in the Behavioral and Synaptic Consequences of a Single in vivo Exposure to the Synthetic Cannabimimetic WIN55,212-2 at Puberty and Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:23. [PMID: 30890922 PMCID: PMC6411818 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy cannabis consumption among adolescents is associated with significant and lasting neurobiological, psychological and health consequences that depend on the age of first use. Chronic exposure to cannabinoid agonists during the perinatal period or adolescence alters social behavior and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in adult rats. However, sex differences on social behavior as well as PFC synaptic plasticity after acute cannabinoid activation remain poorly explored. Here, we determined that the consequences of a single in vivo exposure to the synthetic cannabimimetic WIN55,212-2 differently affected PFC neuronal and synaptic functions after 24 h in male and female rats during the pubertal and adulthood periods. During puberty, single cannabinoid exposure (SCE) reduced play behavior in females but not males. In contrast, the same treatment impaired sociability in both sexes at adulthood. General exploration and memory recognition remained normal at both ages and both sexes. At the synaptic level, SCE ablated endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity in the PFC of females of both ages and heightened excitability of PFC pyramidal neurons at adulthood, while males were spared. In contrast, cannabinoid exposure was associated with impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) specifically in adult males. Together, these data indicate behavioral and synaptic sex differences in response to a single in vivo exposure to cannabinoid at puberty and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milene Borsoi
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Antonia Manduca
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Anissa Bara
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Lassalle
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Anne-Laure Pelissier-Alicot
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France.,Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), CHU Conception, Service de Psychiatrie, Marseille, France.,Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), CHU Timone Adultes, Service de Médecine Légale, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier J Manzoni
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
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23
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Zhang WH, Cao KX, Ding ZB, Yang JL, Pan BX, Xue YX. Role of prefrontal cortex in the extinction of drug memories. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:463-477. [PMID: 30392133 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5069-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It has been recognized that drug addiction engages aberrant process of learning and memory, and substantial studies have focused on developing effective treatment to erase the enduring drug memories to reduce the propensity to relapse. Extinction, a behavioral intervention exposing the individuals to the drug-associated cues repeatedly, can weaken the craving and relapse induced by drug-associated cues, but its clinic efficacy is limited. A clear understanding of the neuronal circuitry and molecular mechanism underlying extinction of drug memory will facilitate the successful use of extinction therapy in clinic. As a key component of mesolimbic system, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has received particular attention largely in that PFC stands at the core of neural circuits for memory extinction and manipulating mPFC influences extinction of drug memories and subsequent relapse. Here, we review the recent advances in both animal models of drug abuse and human addicted patients toward the understanding of the mechanistic link between mPFC and drug memory, with particular emphasis on how mPFC contributes to the extinction of drug memory at levels ranging from neuronal architecture, synaptic plasticity to molecular signaling and epigenetic regulation, and discuss the clinic relevance of manipulating the extinction process of drug memory to prevent craving and relapse through enhancing mPFC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hua Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ke-Xin Cao
- Tianjin General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300052, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zeng-Bo Ding
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jian-Li Yang
- Tianjin General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and Neuroscience, National Health and Family Planning Commision, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Joffe ME, Santiago CI, Stansley BJ, Maksymetz J, Gogliotti RG, Engers JL, Nicoletti F, Lindsley CW, Conn PJ. Mechanisms underlying prelimbic prefrontal cortex mGlu 3/mGlu 5-dependent plasticity and reversal learning deficits following acute stress. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:19-28. [PMID: 30326237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Stress can precipitate or worsen symptoms of many psychiatric illnesses. Dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) glutamate system may underlie these disruptions and restoring PFC glutamate signaling has emerged as a promising avenue for the treatment of stress disorders. Recently, we demonstrated that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 3 (mGlu3) induces a postsynaptic form of long-term depression (LTD) that is dependent on the activity of another subtype, mGlu5. Stress exposure disrupted this plasticity, but the underlying signaling mechanisms and involvement in higher-order cognition have not yet been investigated. Acute stress was applied by 20-min restraint and early reversal learning was evaluated in an operant-based food-seeking task. We employed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of layer 5 prelimbic (PL)-PFC pyramidal cells to examine mGlu3-LTD and several mechanistically distinct mGlu5-dependent functions. Acute stress impaired both mGlu3-LTD and early reversal learning. Interestingly, potentiating mGlu5 signaling with the mGlu5 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0409551 rescued stress-induced deficits in both mGlu3-LTD and reversal learning. Other aspects of PL-PFC mGlu5 function were not disrupted following stress; however, signaling downstream of mGlu5-Homer interactions, phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β was implicated in these phenomena. These findings demonstrate that acute stress disrupts early reversal learning and PL-PFC-dependent synaptic plasticity and that potentiating mGlu5 function can restore these impairments. These findings provide a framework through which modulating coordinated mGlu3/mGlu5 signaling may confer benefits for the treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Joffe ME, Centanni SW, Jaramillo AA, Winder DG, Conn PJ. Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Alcohol Use Disorder: Physiology, Plasticity, and Promising Pharmacotherapies. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2188-2204. [PMID: 29792024 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing efficacious treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) has proven difficult. The insidious nature of the disease necessitates a deep understanding of its underlying biology as well as innovative approaches to ameliorate ethanol-related pathophysiology. Excessive ethanol seeking and relapse are generated by long-term changes to membrane properties, synaptic physiology, and plasticity throughout the limbic system and associated brain structures. Each of these factors can be modulated by metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors, a diverse set of G protein-coupled receptors highly expressed throughout the central nervous system. Here, we discuss how different components of the mGlu receptor family modulate neurotransmission in the limbic system and other brain regions involved in AUD etiology. We then describe how these processes are dysregulated following ethanol exposure and speculate about how mGlu receptor modulation might restore such pathophysiological changes. To that end, we detail the current understanding of the behavioral pharmacology of mGlu receptor-directed drug-like molecules in animal models of AUD. Together, this review highlights the prominent position of the mGlu receptor system in the pathophysiology of AUD and provides encouragement that several classes of mGlu receptor modulators may be translated as viable treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel W. Centanni
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Anel A. Jaramillo
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
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Klenowski PM. Emerging role for the medial prefrontal cortex in alcohol-seeking behaviors. Addict Behav 2018; 77:102-106. [PMID: 28992574 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays an important role in high-order executive processes and sends highly organized projections to sub-cortical regions controlling mood, motivation and impulsivity. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated alcohol-induced effects on the activity and composition of the PFC which are implicated in associative learning processes and may disrupt executive control over impulsivity, leading to an inability to self-limit alcohol intake. Animal studies have begun to dissect the role of the mPFC circuitry in alcohol-seeking behavior and withdrawal, and have identified a key role for projections to sub-cortical sites including the extended amygdala and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Importantly, these studies have highlighted that alcohol can have contrasting effects on the mPFC compared to other addictive substances and also produce differential effects on the structure and activity of the mPFC following short-term versus long-term consumption. Because of these differences, how the mPFC influences the initial aspects of alcohol-seeking behavior and how we can better understand the long-term effects of alcohol use on the activity and connectivity of the mPFC need to be considered. Given the lack of preclinical data from long-term drinking models, an increased focus should be directed towards identifying how long-term alcohol use changes the mPFC, in order to provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the transition to dependence.
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Huang B, Li Y, Cheng D, He G, Liu X, Ma L. β-Arrestin–biased β-adrenergic signaling promotes extinction learning of cocaine reward memory. Sci Signal 2018; 11:11/512/eaam5402. [PMID: 29317519 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aam5402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Youxing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Deqin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guanhong He
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Lan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Cannady R, Rinker JA, Nimitvilai S, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. Chronic Alcohol, Intrinsic Excitability, and Potassium Channels: Neuroadaptations and Drinking Behavior. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 248:311-343. [PMID: 29374839 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neural mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorder remain elusive, and this lack of understanding has slowed the development of efficacious treatment strategies for reducing relapse rates and prolonging abstinence. While synaptic adaptations produced by chronic alcohol exposure have been extensively characterized in a variety of brain regions, changes in intrinsic excitability of critical projection neurons are understudied. Accumulating evidence suggests that prolonged alcohol drinking and alcohol dependence produce plasticity of intrinsic excitability as measured by changes in evoked action potential firing and after-hyperpolarization amplitude. In this chapter, we describe functional changes in cell firing of projection neurons after long-term alcohol exposure that occur across species and in multiple brain regions. Adaptations in calcium-activated (KCa2), voltage-dependent (KV7), and G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying (Kir3 or GIRK) potassium channels that regulate the evoked firing and after-hyperpolarization parallel functional changes in intrinsic excitability induced by chronic alcohol. Moreover, there are strong genetic links between alcohol-related behaviors and genes encoding KCa2, KV7, and GIRK channels, and pharmacologically targeting these channels reduces alcohol consumption and alcohol-related behaviors. Together, these studies demonstrate that chronic alcohol drinking produces adaptations in KCa2, KV7, and GIRK channels leading to impaired regulation of the after-hyperpolarization and aberrant cell firing. Correcting the deficit in the after-hyperpolarization with positive modulators of KCa2 and KV7 channels and altering the GIRK channel binding pocket to block the access of alcohol represent a potentially highly effective pharmacological approach that can restore changes in intrinsic excitability and reduce alcohol consumption in affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald Cannady
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Sudarat Nimitvilai
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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Whitaker LR, Warren BL, Venniro M, Harte TC, McPherson KB, Beidel J, Bossert JM, Shaham Y, Bonci A, Hope BT. Bidirectional Modulation of Intrinsic Excitability in Rat Prelimbic Cortex Neuronal Ensembles and Non-Ensembles after Operant Learning. J Neurosci 2017; 37:8845-56. [PMID: 28779019 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3761-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Learned associations between environmental stimuli and rewards drive goal-directed learning and motivated behavior. These memories are thought to be encoded by alterations within specific patterns of sparsely distributed neurons called neuronal ensembles that are activated selectively by reward-predictive stimuli. Here, we use the Fos promoter to identify strongly activated neuronal ensembles in rat prelimbic cortex (PLC) and assess altered intrinsic excitability after 10 d of operant food self-administration training (1 h/d). First, we used the Daun02 inactivation procedure in male FosLacZ-transgenic rats to ablate selectively Fos-expressing PLC neurons that were active during operant food self-administration. Selective ablation of these neurons decreased food seeking. We then used male FosGFP-transgenic rats to assess selective alterations of intrinsic excitability in Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles (FosGFP+) that were activated during food self-administration and compared these with alterations in less activated non-ensemble neurons (FosGFP-). Using whole-cell recordings of layer V pyramidal neurons in an ex vivo brain slice preparation, we found that operant self-administration increased excitability of FosGFP+ neurons and decreased excitability of FosGFP- neurons. Increased excitability of FosGFP+ neurons was driven by increased steady-state input resistance. Decreased excitability of FosGFP- neurons was driven by increased contribution of small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels. Injections of the specific SK channel antagonist apamin into PLC increased Fos expression but had no effect on food seeking. Overall, operant learning increased intrinsic excitability of PLC Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles that play a role in food seeking but decreased intrinsic excitability of Fos- non-ensembles.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prefrontal cortex activity plays a critical role in operant learning, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are unknown. Using the chemogenetic Daun02 inactivation procedure, we found that a small number of strongly activated Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in rat PLC play an important role in learned operant food seeking. Using GFP expression to identify Fos-expressing layer V pyramidal neurons in prelimbic cortex (PLC) of FosGFP-transgenic rats, we found that operant food self-administration led to increased intrinsic excitability in the behaviorally relevant Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles, but decreased intrinsic excitability in Fos- neurons using distinct cellular mechanisms.
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