1
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Lupica CR, Hoffman AF. Control of dopamine communication by opioids: glutamate enters the discussion. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1833-1834. [PMID: 37500722 PMCID: PMC10584928 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01683-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Lupica
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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2
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Yano H, Chitsazi R, Lucaj C, Tran P, Hoffman AF, Baumann MH, Lupica CR, Shi L. Subtle Structural Modification of a Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist Drastically Increases its Efficacy at the CB1 Receptor. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3928-3940. [PMID: 37847546 PMCID: PMC10623572 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00530] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) as illicit psychoactive substances has posed considerable public health risks, including fatalities. Many SCRAs exhibit much higher efficacy and potency compared with the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), leading to dramatic differences in signaling levels that can be toxic. In this study, we investigated the structure-activity relationships of aminoalkylindole SCRAs at CB1Rs, focusing on 5F-pentylindoles containing an amide linker attached to different head moieties. Using in vitro bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays, we identified a few SCRAs exhibiting significantly higher efficacy in engaging the Gi protein and recruiting β-arrestin than the reference CB1R full agonist CP55940. Importantly, the extra methyl group on the head moiety of 5F-MDMB-PICA, as compared to that of 5F-MMB-PICA, led to a large increase in efficacy and potency at the CB1R. This pharmacological observation was supported by the functional effects of these SCRAs on glutamate field potentials recorded in hippocampal slices. Molecular modeling and simulations of the CB1R models bound with both of the SCRAs revealed critical structural determinants contributing to the higher efficacy of 5F-MDMB-PICA and how these subtle differences propagated to the receptor-G protein interface. Thus, we find that apparently minor structural changes in the head moiety of SCRAs can cause major changes in efficacy. Our results highlight the need for close monitoring of the structural modifications of newly emerging SCRAs and their potential for toxic drug responses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Yano
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug
Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Rezvan Chitsazi
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Christopher Lucaj
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug
Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Phuong Tran
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology
Research Section, National Institutes of
Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Michael H. Baumann
- Designer
Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute
on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology
Research Section, National Institutes of
Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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3
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Yano H, Chitsazi R, Lucaj C, Tran P, Hoffman AF, Baumann MH, Lupica CR, Shi L. A subtle structural modification of a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist drastically increases its efficacy at the CB1 receptor. bioRxiv 2023:2023.06.10.544442. [PMID: 37398099 PMCID: PMC10312643 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.10.544442] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) as illicit psychoactive substances has posed considerable public health risks that include fatalities. Many SCRAs exhibit much higher efficacy and potency, compared with the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), at the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), a G protein-coupled receptor involved in modulating neurotransmitter release. In this study, we investigated structure activity relationships (SAR) of aminoalkylindole SCRAs at CB1Rs, focusing on 5F-pentylindoles containing an amide linker attached to different head moieties. Using in vitro bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays, we identified a few of SCRAs exhibiting significantly higher efficacy in engaging the Gi protein and recruiting β-arrestin than the reference CB1R full agonist CP55940. Importantly, adding a methyl group at the head moiety of 5F-MMB-PICA yielded 5F-MDMB-PICA, an agonist exhibiting a large increase in efficacy and potency at the CB1R. This pharmacological observation was supported by a functional assay of the effects of these SCRAs on glutamate field potentials recorded in hippocampal slices. Molecular modeling and simulations of the CB1R bound with either of the SCRAs revealed critical structural determinants contributing to the higher efficacy of 5F-MDMB-PICA, and how these subtle differences propagated to the receptor-G protein interface. Thus, we find that apparently minor structural changes in the head moiety of SCRAs can cause major changes in efficacy. Our results highlight the need for close monitoring of structural modifications of newly emerging SCRAs and their potential for toxic drug responses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Yano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University
| | - Rezvan Chitsazi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Christopher Lucaj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University
| | - Phuong Tran
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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4
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Niello M, Sideromenos S, Gradisch R, O´Shea R, Schwazer J, Maier J, Kastner N, Sandtner W, Jäntsch K, Lupica CR, Hoffman AF, Lubec G, Loland CJ, Stockner T, Pollak DD, Baumann MH, Sitte HH. Persistent binding at dopamine transporters determines sustained psychostimulant effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2114204120. [PMID: 36730201 PMCID: PMC9963675 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114204120] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulants interacting with the dopamine transporter (DAT) can be used illicitly or for the treatment of specific neuropsychiatric disorders. However, they can also produce severe and persistent adverse events. Often, their pharmacological properties in vitro do not fully correlate to their pharmacological profile in vivo. Here, we investigated the pharmacological effects of enantiomers of pyrovalerone, α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone as compared to the traditional psychostimulants cocaine and methylphenidate, using a variety of in vitro, computational, and in vivo approaches. We found that in vitro drug-binding kinetics at DAT correlate with the time-course of in vivo psychostimulant action in mice. In particular, a slow dissociation (i.e., slow koff) of S-enantiomers of pyrovalerone analogs from DAT predicts their more persistent in vivo effects when compared to cocaine and methylphenidate. Overall, our findings highlight the critical importance of drug-binding kinetics at DAT for determining the in vivo profile of effects produced by psychostimulant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Niello
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Spyridon Sideromenos
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralph Gradisch
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronan O´Shea
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD21224
| | - Jakob Schwazer
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Julian Maier
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina Kastner
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Jäntsch
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD21224
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD21224
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020Salzburg, Austria
| | - Claus J. Loland
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Stockner
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D. Pollak
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael H. Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD21224
| | - Harald H. Sitte
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
- AddRess, Center for Addiction Research and Science, Medical University of Vienna, 1090Vienna, Austria
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5
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Nugent FS, Kirkwood A, Lupica CR, Sjöström PJ. Editorial: The synaptic basis of neuropathology. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:1043480. [PMID: 36311440 PMCID: PMC9608123 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1043480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh S. Nugent
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alfredo Kirkwood
- Department of Neuroscience, Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Carl R. Lupica
| | - P. Jesper Sjöström
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada,P. Jesper Sjöström
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6
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Wolfe CIC, Hwang EK, Ijomor EC, Zapata A, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR. Muscarinic Acetylcholine M 2 Receptors Regulate Lateral Habenula Neuron Activity and Control Cocaine Seeking Behavior. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5552-5563. [PMID: 35764382 PMCID: PMC9295832 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0645-22.2022] [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: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) balances reward and aversion by opposing activation of brain reward nuclei and is involved in the inhibition of responding for cocaine in a model of impulsive behavior. Previously, we reported that the suppression of cocaine seeking was prevented by LHb inactivation or nonselective antagonism of LHb mAChRs. Here, we investigate mAChR subtypes mediating the effects of endogenous acetylcholine in this model of impulsive drug seeking and define cellular mechanisms in which mAChRs alter LHb neuron activity. Using in vitro electrophysiology, we find that LHb neurons are depolarized or hyperpolarized by the cholinergic agonists oxotremorine-M (Oxo-M) and carbachol (CCh), and that mAChRs inhibit synaptic GABA and glutamatergic inputs to these cells similarly in male and female rats. Synaptic effects of CCh were blocked by the M2-mAChR (M2R) antagonist AFDX-116 and not by pirenzepine, an M1-mAChR (M1R) antagonist. Oxo-M-mediated depolarizing currents were also blocked by AFDX-116. Although M2R activation inhibited excitatory and inhibitory inputs to LHb neurons, the effect on excitation was greater, suggesting a shift in excitatory-inhibitory balance toward net inhibition. Activation of VTA inhibitory inputs to LHb neurons, via channelrhodopsin-2 expression, evoked IPSCs that were inhibited by M2Rs. Finally, we measured LHb-dependent operant response inhibition for cocaine and found it impaired by antagonism of M2Rs, and not M1Rs. In summary, we show that a cholinergic signal to LHb and activation of M2Rs are critical to enable inhibition of responding for cocaine, and we define cellular mechanisms through which this may occur.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain region receiving information from brain areas involved in decision-making, and its output influences motivation, reward, and movement. This interface between thoughts, emotions, and actions is how the LHb permits adaptive behavior, and LHb dysfunction is implicated in psychiatric and drug use disorders. Silencing the LHb impairs control over cocaine seeking in rats, and mAChRs are also implicated. Here, we measured cocaine seeking while blocking different mAChRs and examined mechanisms of mAChR effects on LHb neurons. M2-mAChRs were necessary for control of cocaine seeking, and these receptors altered LHb neuron activity in several ways. Our study reveals that LHb M2-mAChRs represent a potential target for treating substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara I C Wolfe
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Elfrieda C Ijomor
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Agustin Zapata
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Carl R Lupica
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program Computational and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD 21224
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7
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Jadhav KS, Bernheim AP, Aeschlimann L, Kirschmann G, Decosterd I, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Boutrel B. Reversing anterior insular cortex neuronal hypoexcitability attenuates compulsive behavior in adolescent rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121247119. [PMID: 35584117 PMCID: PMC9173752 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121247119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of self-regulatory competencies during adolescence is partially dependent on normative brain maturation. Here, we report that adolescent rats as compared to adults exhibit impulsive and compulsive-like behavioral traits, the latter being associated with lower expression of mRNA levels of the immediate early gene zif268 in the anterior insula cortex (AIC). This suggests that underdeveloped AIC function in adolescent rats could contribute to an immature pattern of interoceptive cue integration in decision making and a compulsive phenotype. In support of this, we report that layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the adolescent rat AIC are hypoexcitable and receive fewer glutamatergic synaptic inputs compared to adults. Chemogenetic activation of the AIC attenuated compulsive traits in adolescent rats supporting the idea that in early stages of AIC maturity there exists a suboptimal integration of sensory and cognitive information that contributes to inflexible behaviors in specific conditions of reward availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshitij S. Jadhav
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1008 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien P. Bernheim
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1008 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Léa Aeschlimann
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1008 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guylène Kirschmann
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Decosterd
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Benjamin Boutrel
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1008 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1004 Lausanne, Switzerland
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8
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Zapata A, Lupica CR. Lateral habenula cannabinoid CB1 receptor involvement in drug-associated impulsive behavior. Neuropharmacology 2021; 192:108604. [PMID: 33965396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Animal and human studies show that cannabis or its derivatives can increase relapse to cocaine seeking following withdrawal. Moreover, cannabis use in humans is associated with impulse control deficits and animal studies implicate endogenous cannabinoids (eCB) in several impulsivity constructs. However, the brain areas where cannabinoids might control impulsivity or cocaine seeking are largely unknown. Here, we assess Lateral Habenula (LHb) involvement on performance in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) in rats and investigate whether LHb cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R) are involved in these effects. Systemic cocaine increased premature responding, a measure of impulsivity, at a dose (5 mg/kg) that did not alter other measures of task performance. Intra-LHb infusion of the CB1R antagonist AM251 blocked this effect. Systemic injection of the psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC, 1 mg/kg), also increased 5CSRTT premature responding at a dose that did not otherwise disrupt task performance. This was blocked by intra-LHb infusion of AM251 in a subgroup of rats showing the largest increases in Δ9-THC-evoked premature responses. Systemic Δ9-THC also prompted impulsive cocaine seeking in a Go/NoGo cocaine self-administration task and this was blocked by intra-LHb AM251. These data show that LHb CB1Rs are involved in deficits in impulse control initiated by cocaine and Δ9-THC, as assessed by the 5CSRTT, and play a role in impulsive cocaine seeking during cocaine self-administration. This suggests that the LHb eCB system contributes to the control of impulsive behavior, and thus represents a potential target for therapeutic treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Zapata
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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9
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Hoffman AF, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ 9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a039743. [PMID: 32341064 PMCID: PMC8091957 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039743] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability of neurons to dynamically and flexibly encode synaptic inputs via short- and long-term plasticity is critical to an organism's ability to learn and adapt to the environment. Whereas synaptic plasticity may be encoded by pre- or postsynaptic mechanisms, current evidence suggests that optimization of learning requires both forms of plasticity. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) play critical roles in modulating synaptic transmission via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) in many central nervous system (CNS) regions, and the eCB system has been implicated, either directly or indirectly, in several forms of synaptic plasticity. Because of this, perturbations within the eCB signaling system can lead to impairments in a variety of learned behaviors. One agent of altered eCB signaling is exposure to "exogenous cannabinoids" such as the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ9-THC, or illicit synthetic cannabinoids that in many cases have higher potency and efficacy than Δ9-THC. Thus, by targeting the eCB system, these agonists can produce widespread impairment of synaptic plasticity by disrupting ongoing eCB function. Here, we review studies in which Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids impair synaptic plasticity in a variety of neuronal circuits and examine evidence that this contributes to their well-documented ability to disrupt cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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10
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Hoffman AF, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Erratum: Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ 9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2020; 10:10/6/a040428. [PMID: 32482847 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Yano H, Adhikari P, Naing S, Hoffman AF, Baumann MH, Lupica CR, Shi L. Positive Allosteric Modulation of the 5-HT 1A Receptor by Indole-Based Synthetic Cannabinoids Abused by Humans. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:1400-1405. [PMID: 32324370 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The nonmedical (i.e., recreational) misuse of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) is a worldwide public health problem. When compared to cannabis, the misuse of SCs is associated with a higher incidence of serious adverse effects, suggesting the possible involvement of noncannabinoid sites of action. Here, we find that, unlike the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the indole-moiety containing SCs, AM2201 and JWH-018, act as positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) at the 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1AR). This suggests that some biological effects of SCs might involve allosteric interactions with 5-HT1ARs. To test this hypothesis, we examined effects of AM2201 on 5-HT1AR agonist-activated G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel currents in neurons in vitro and on the hypothermic response to 5-HT1AR stimulation in mice lacking the cannabinoid receptor 1. We found that both 5-HT1AR effects were potentiated by AM2201, suggesting that PAM activity at 5-HT1AR may represent a novel noncannabinoid receptor mechanism underlying the complex profile of effects for certain SCs.
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12
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Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Altered Corticolimbic Control of the Nucleus Accumbens by Long-term Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:619-631. [PMID: 31543247 PMCID: PMC7002212 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The decriminalization and legalization of cannabis and the expansion of availability of medical cannabis in North America have led to an increase in cannabis use and the availability of high-potency strains. Cannabis potency is determined by the concentration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), a psychoactive constituent that activates cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. The use of high-potency cannabis is associated with cannabis use disorder and increased susceptibility to psychiatric illness. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is part of a brain reward circuit affected by Δ9-THC through modulation of glutamate afferents arising from corticolimbic brain areas implicated in drug addiction and psychiatric disorders. Moreover, brain imaging studies show alterations in corticolimbic and NAc properties in human cannabis users. METHODS Using in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetics, we examined how Δ9-THC alters corticolimbic input to the NAc in rats. RESULTS We found that long-term exposure to Δ9-THC weakens prefrontal cortex glutamate input to the NAc shell and strengthens input from basolateral amygdala and ventral hippocampus. Further, whereas long-term exposure to Δ9-THC had no effect on net strength of glutamatergic input to NAc shell arising from midbrain dopamine neurons, it alters fundamental properties of these synapses. CONCLUSIONS Long-term exposure to Δ9-THC shifts control of the NAc shell from cortical to limbic input, likely contributing to cognitive and psychiatric dysfunction that is associated with cannabis use.
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13
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Nakamura Y, Dryanovski DI, Kimura Y, Jackson SN, Woods AS, Yasui Y, Tsai SY, Patel S, Covey DP, Su TP, Lupica CR. Cocaine-induced endocannabinoid signaling mediated by sigma-1 receptors and extracellular vesicle secretion. eLife 2019; 8:e47209. [PMID: 31596232 PMCID: PMC6850780 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine is an addictive drug that acts in brain reward areas. Recent evidence suggests that cocaine stimulates synthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in midbrain, increasing dopamine neuron activity via disinhibition. Although a mechanism for cocaine-stimulated 2-AG synthesis is known, our understanding of 2-AG release is limited. In NG108 cells and mouse midbrain tissue, we find that 2-AG is localized in non-synaptic extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are secreted in the presence of cocaine via interaction with the chaperone protein sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R). The release of EVs occurs when cocaine causes dissociation of the Sig-1R from ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF6), a G-protein regulating EV trafficking, leading to activation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). Blockade of Sig-1R function, or inhibition of ARF6 or MLCK also prevented cocaine-induced EV release and cocaine-stimulated 2-AG-modulation of inhibitory synapses in DA neurons. Our results implicate the Sig-1R-ARF6 complex in control of EV release and demonstrate that cocaine-mediated 2-AG release can occur via EVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoki Nakamura
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Dilyan I Dryanovski
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Yuriko Kimura
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Shelley N Jackson
- Structural Biology Unit, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Amina S Woods
- Structural Biology Unit, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Yuko Yasui
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Shang-Yi Tsai
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sachin Patel
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt Brain InstituteVanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Daniel P Covey
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyUniversity of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Tsung-Ping Su
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
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14
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Lecca D, Bader M, Tweedie D, Hoffman AF, Jung YJ, Hsueh SC, Hoffer BJ, Becker RE, Pick CG, Lupica CR, Greig NH. (-)-Phenserine and the prevention of pre-programmed cell death and neuroinflammation in mild traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease challenged mice. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 130:104528. [PMID: 31295555 PMCID: PMC6716152 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). TBI-derived neuropathologies are promoted by inflammatory processes: chronic microgliosis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that further promote neuronal dysfunction and loss. Herein, we evaluated the effect on pre-programmed cell death/neuroinflammation/synaptic integrity and function of (-)-Phenserine tartrate (Phen), an agent originally developed for AD. This was studied at two clinically translatable doses (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, BID), in a weight drop (concussive) mTBI model in wild type (WT) and AD APP/PSEN1 transgenic mice. Phen mitigated mTBI-induced cognitive impairment, assessed by Novel Object Recognition and Y-maze behavioral paradigms, in WT mice. Phen fully abated mTBI-induced neurodegeneration, evaluated by counting Fluoro-Jade C-positive (FJC+) cells, in hippocampus and cortex of WT mice. In APP/PSEN1 mice, degenerating cell counts were consistently greater across all experimental groups vs. WT mice. mTBI elevated FJC+ cell counts vs. the APP/PSEN1 control (sham) group, and Phen similarly mitigated this. Anti-inflammatory effects on microglial activation (IBA1-immunoreactivity (IR)) and the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were evaluated. mTBI increased IBA1-IR and TNF-α/IBA1 colocalization vs. sham, both in WT and APP/PSEN1 mice. Phen decreased IBA1-IR throughout hippocampi and cortices of WT mice, and in cortices of AD mice. Phen, likewise, reduced levels of IBA1/TNF-α-IR colocalization volume across all areas in WT animals, with a similar trend in APP/PSEN1 mice. Actions on astrocyte activation by mTBI were followed by evaluating GFAP, and were similarly mitigated by Phen. Synaptic density was evaluated by quantifying PSD-95+ dendritic spines and Synaptophysin (Syn)-IR. Both were significantly reduced in mTBI vs. sham in both WT and APP/PSEN1 mice. Phen fully reversed the PSD-95+ spine loss in WT and Syn-IR decrease in both WT and APP/PSEN1 mice. To associate immunohistochemical changes in synaptic markers with function, hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP) was induced in WT mice. LTP was impaired by mTBI, and this impairment was mitigated by Phen. In synopsis, clinically translatable doses of Phen ameliorated mTBI-mediated pre-programmed cell death/neuroinflammation/synaptic dysfunction in WT mice, consistent with fully mitigating mTBI-induced cognitive impairments. Phen additionally demonstrated positive actions in the more pathologic brain microenvironment of AD mice, further supporting consideration of its repurposing as a treatment for mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Lecca
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Miaad Bader
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David Tweedie
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 21224 Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yoo Jin Jung
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Shin-Chang Hsueh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Barry J Hoffer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Robert E Becker
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Aristea Translational Medicine Corporation, Park City, UT 84098, USA
| | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 21224 Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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15
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Lecca D, Bader M, Tweedie D, Lahiri DK, Becker RE, Pick C, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Greig NH. P3-056: PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF (-)-PHENSERINE (PHEN) IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) AND MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (MTBI) MURINE MODELS. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.3083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Debomoy K. Lahiri
- Department of Psychiatry; Indiana University School of Medicine; Indianapolis IN USA
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16
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Bäck S, Necarsulmer J, Whitaker LR, Coke LM, Koivula P, Heathward EJ, Fortuno LV, Zhang Y, Yeh CG, Baldwin HA, Spencer MD, Mejias-Aponte CA, Pickel J, Hoffman AF, Spivak CE, Lupica CR, Underhill SM, Amara SG, Domanskyi A, Anttila JE, Airavaara M, Hope BT, Hamra FK, Richie CT, Harvey BK. Neuron-Specific Genome Modification in the Adult Rat Brain Using CRISPR-Cas9 Transgenic Rats. Neuron 2019; 102:105-119.e8. [PMID: 30792150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Historically, the rat has been the preferred animal model for behavioral studies. Limitations in genome modification have, however, caused a lag in their use compared to the bevy of available transgenic mice. Here, we have developed several transgenic tools, including viral vectors and transgenic rats, for targeted genome modification in specific adult rat neurons using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Starting from wild-type rats, knockout of tyrosine hydroxylase was achieved with adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors expressing Cas9 or guide RNAs (gRNAs). We subsequently created an AAV vector for Cre-dependent gRNA expression as well as three new transgenic rat lines to specifically target CRISPR-Cas9 components to dopaminergic neurons. One rat represents the first knockin rat model made by germline gene targeting in spermatogonial stem cells. The rats described herein serve as a versatile platform for making cell-specific and sequence-specific genome modifications in the adult brain and potentially other Cre-expressing tissues of the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Bäck
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Julie Necarsulmer
- Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Leslie R Whitaker
- Neuronal Ensembles in Drug Addiction Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Lamarque M Coke
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Pyry Koivula
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Emily J Heathward
- Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Lowella V Fortuno
- Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yajun Zhang
- Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - C Grace Yeh
- Neuronal Ensembles in Drug Addiction Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Heather A Baldwin
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Morgan D Spencer
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Carlos A Mejias-Aponte
- Histology Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - James Pickel
- Transgenic Technology Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Charles E Spivak
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Suzanne M Underhill
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Susan G Amara
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrii Domanskyi
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni E Anttila
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bruce T Hope
- Neuronal Ensembles in Drug Addiction Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - F Kent Hamra
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Christopher T Richie
- Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Brandon K Harvey
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core/Genetic Engineering and Viral Vector Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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17
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Yano H, Bonifazi A, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Shi LR, Newman AH. Novel sumanirole bivalent analogues as potent dopamine D2 receptor Go‐protein biased agonists. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.667.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Bonifazi A, Yano H, Guerrero AM, Kumar V, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Shi L, Newman AH. Novel and Potent Dopamine D 2 Receptor Go-Protein Biased Agonists. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:52-65. [PMID: 30775693 PMCID: PMC6371206 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.8b00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
discovery of functionally biased and physiologically beneficial
ligands directed toward G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) has provided
the impetus to design dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) targeted molecules that may be therapeutically advantageous for
the treatment of certain neuropsychiatric or basal ganglia related
disorders. Here we describe the synthesis of a novel series of D2R agonists linking the D2R unbiased agonist sumanirole
with privileged secondary molecular fragments. The resulting ligands
demonstrate improved D2R affinity and selectivity over
sumanirole. Extensive in vitro functional studies
and bias factor analysis led to the identification of a novel class
of highly potent Go-protein biased full D2R agonists with
more than 10-fold and 1000-fold bias selectivity toward activation
of specific G-protein subtypes and β-arrestin, respectively.
Intracellular electrophysiological recordings from midbrain dopamine
neurons demonstrated that Go-protein selective agonists can elicit
prolonged ligand-induced GIRK activity via D2Rs, which
may be beneficial in the treatment of dyskinesias associated with
dopamine system dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Hideaki Yano
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Adrian M Guerrero
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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19
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Lupica CR, Hoffman AF. Cannabinoid disruption of learning mechanisms involved in reward processing. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 25:435-445. [PMID: 30115765 PMCID: PMC6097761 DOI: 10.1101/lm.046748.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The increasing use of cannabis, its derivatives, and synthetic cannabinoids for medicinal and recreational purposes has led to burgeoning interest in understanding the addictive potential of this class of molecules. It is estimated that ∼10% of marijuana users will eventually show signs of dependence on the drug, and the diagnosis of cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasing in the United States. The molecule that sustains the use of cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and our knowledge of its effects, and those of other cannabinoids on brain function has expanded rapidly in the past two decades. Additionally, the identification of endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) systems in brain and their roles in physiology and behavior, demonstrate extensive involvement of these lipid signaling molecules in regulating CNS function. Here, we examine roles for endogenous cannabinoids in shaping synaptic activity in cortical and subcortical brain circuits, and we discuss mechanisms in which exogenous cannabinoids, such as Δ9-THC, interact with endocannabinoid systems to disrupt neuronal network oscillations. We then explore how perturbation of the interaction of this activity within brain reward circuits may lead to impaired learning. Finally, we propose that disruption of cellular plasticity mechanisms by exogenous cannabinoids in cortical and subcortical circuits may explain the difficulty in establishing viable cannabinoid self-administration models in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Wright AM, Zapata A, Baumann MH, Elmore JS, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR. Enduring Loss of Serotonergic Control of Orbitofrontal Cortex Function Following Contingent and Noncontingent Cocaine Exposure. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:5463-5476. [PMID: 27733540 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical descriptions of cocaine addiction include compulsive drug seeking and maladaptive decision-making despite substantial aversive consequences. Research suggests that this may result from altered orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) function and its participation in outcome-based behavior. Clinical and animal studies also implicate serotonin in the regulation of OFC function in addiction and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we test the hypothesis that exposure to cocaine, through self-administration (CSA) or yoked-administration (CYA), alters the regulation of OFC function by 5-HT. Using whole-cell electrophysiology in brain slices from naïve rats we find that 5-HT1A receptors generate hyperpolarizing outward currents in layer-V OFC pyramidal neurons, and that 5-HT2A receptors increase glutamate release onto these cells. Following extended withdrawal from CSA or CYA, this 5-HT regulation of OFC activity is largely lost. In-situ hybridization of 5-HT receptor transcripts reveals that 5-HT1A receptor mRNA is unaffected and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA is significantly elevated after CSA or CYA. These results demonstrate that 5-HT control of OFC neurons is disrupted for extended periods following cocaine exposure. We hypothesize that this dysregulation of 5-HT signaling leads to enduring disruptions of OFC network activity that this is involved in impaired decision-making associated with cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Wright
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Agustin Zapata
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Joshua S Elmore
- Designer Drug Research Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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21
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Wenzel JM, Oleson EB, Gove WN, Cole AB, Gyawali U, Dantrassy HM, Bluett RJ, Dryanovski DI, Stuber GD, Deisseroth K, Mathur BN, Patel S, Lupica CR, Cheer JF. Phasic Dopamine Signals in the Nucleus Accumbens that Cause Active Avoidance Require Endocannabinoid Mobilization in the Midbrain. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1392-1404.e5. [PMID: 29681476 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Phasic dopamine (DA) release accompanies approach toward appetitive cues. However, a role for DA in the active avoidance of negative events remains undetermined. Warning signals informing footshock avoidance are associated with accumbal DA release, whereas depression of DA is observed with unavoidable footshock. Here, we reveal a causal role of phasic DA in active avoidance learning; specifically, optogenetic activation of DA neurons facilitates avoidance, whereas optical inhibition of these cells attenuates it. Furthermore, stimulation of DA neurons during presentation of a fear-conditioned cue accelerates the extinction of a passive defensive behavior (i.e., freezing). Dopaminergic control of avoidance requires endocannabinoids (eCBs), as perturbing eCB signaling in the midbrain disrupts avoidance, which is rescued by optical stimulation of DA neurons. Interestingly, once the avoidance task is learned, neither DA nor eCB manipulations affect performance, suggesting that once acquisition occurs, expression of this behavior is subserved by other anatomical frameworks. Our findings establish an instrumental role for DA release in learning active responses to aversive stimuli and its control by eCB signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Wenzel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Erik B Oleson
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80204, USA
| | - Willard N Gove
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Anthony B Cole
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Utsav Gyawali
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Hannah M Dantrassy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rebecca J Bluett
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Dilyan I Dryanovski
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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22
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Lupica CR, Hu Y, Devinsky O, Hoffman AF. Cannabinoids as hippocampal network administrators. Neuropharmacology 2017; 124:25-37. [PMID: 28392266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [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: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Extensive pioneering studies performed in the hippocampus have greatly contributed to our knowledge of an endogenous cannabinoid system comprised of the molecular machinery necessary to process endocannabinoid lipid messengers and their associated cannabinoid receptors. Moreover, a foundation of knowledge regarding the function of hippocampal circuits, and its role in supporting synaptic plasticity has facilitated our understanding of the roles cannabinoids play in the diverse behaviors in which the hippocampus participates, in both normal and pathological states. In this review, we present an historical overview of research pertaining to the hippocampal cannabinoid system to provide context in which to understand the participation of the hippocampus in cognition, behavior, and epilepsy. We also examine potential roles for the hippocampal formation in mediating dysfunctional behavior, and assert that these phenomena reflect disordered physiological activity within the hippocampus and its interactions with other brain regions after exposure to synthetic cannabinoids, and the phytocannabinoids found in marijuana, such as Δ9-THC and cannabidiol. In this regard, we examine contemporary hypotheses concerning the hippocampal endocannabinoid system's participation in psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, and examine cannabinoid-sensitive cellular mechanisms contributing to coherent network oscillations as potential contributors to these disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "A New Dawn in Cannabinoid Neurobiology".
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Lupica
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Yuhan Hu
- School of Chemistry, Food and Nutritional Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | | | - Alexander F Hoffman
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, MD, USA
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23
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Zapata A, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Lateral Habenula Involvement in Impulsive Cocaine Seeking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1103-1112. [PMID: 28025973 PMCID: PMC5506796 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain structure receiving inputs from limbic forebrain areas and innervating major midbrain monoaminergic nuclei. Evidence indicates LHb involvement in sleep control, reward-based decision making, avoidance of punishment, and responses to stress. Additional work has established that the LHb mediates negative feedback in response to aversive events. As a hallmark of drug addiction is the inability to limit drug use despite negative consequences, we hypothesize that LHb dysfunction may have a role in the lack of control over drug seeking. Here we examine the effects of LHb inactivation in control over drug seeking in several cocaine self-administration (SA) paradigms in rats. We find that inhibition of the LHb with GABAergic agonists did not alter cocaine SA under progressive ratio or seeking/taking chained reinforcement schedules, or during punishment-induced suppression of cocaine-reinforced responding. In contrast, LHb inhibition increased cocaine seeking when the drug was not available in rats trained to discriminate its presence using an environmental cue. This effect of LHb inhibition was selective for cocaine, as it did not impair responding for sucrose reinforcement. The effect of LHb injection of GABA agonists was mimicked by intra-LHb muscarinic cholinergic (mACh) antagonist injection, and activation of mACh receptors excited a majority of LHb neurons in in vitro electrophysiology experiments. These results indicate that the LHb participates in the suppression of impulsive responding for cocaine through the activation of a cholinergic circuit, and they suggest that LHb dysfunction may contribute to impaired impulse control associated with drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Zapata
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA,Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA, Tel: +1 443 740 2824, E-mail:
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24
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Hoffman AF, Lycas MD, Kaczmarzyk JR, Spivak CE, Baumann MH, Lupica CR. Disruption of hippocampal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation by psychoactive synthetic cannabinoid 'Spice' compounds: comparison with Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol. Addict Biol 2017; 22:390-399. [PMID: 26732435 PMCID: PMC4935655 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
There has been a marked increase in the availability of synthetic drugs designed to mimic the effects of marijuana. These cannabimimetic drugs, sold illicitly as 'Spice' and related products, are associated with serious medical complications in some users. In vitro studies suggest that synthetic cannabinoids in these preparations are potent agonists at central cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs), but few investigations have delineated their cellular effects, particularly in comparison with the psychoactive component of marijuana, Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC). We compared the ability of three widely abused synthetic cannabinoids and Δ9 -THC to alter glutamate release and long-term potentiation in the mouse hippocampus. JWH-018 was the most potent inhibitor of hippocampal synaptic transmission (EC50 ~15 nM), whereas its fluoropentyl derivative, AM2201, inhibited synaptic transmission with slightly lower potency (EC50 ~60 nM). The newer synthetic cannabinoid, XLR-11, displayed much lower potency (EC50 ~900 nM) that was similar to Δ9 -THC (EC50 ~700 nM). The effects of all compounds occurred via activation of CB1Rs, as demonstrated by reversal with the selective antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 or the neutral CB1R antagonist PIMSR1. Moreover, AM2201 was without effect in the hippocampus of transgenic mice lacking the CB1R. Hippocampal slices exposed to either synthetic cannabinoids or Δ9 -THC exhibited significantly impaired long-term potentiation (LTP). We find that, compared with Δ9 -THC, the first-generation cannabinoids found in Spice preparations display higher potency, whereas a recent synthetic cannabinoid is roughly equipotent with Δ9 -THC. The disruption of synaptic function by these synthetic cannabinoids is likely to lead to profound impairments in cognitive and behavioral function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology BranchNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Matthew D. Lycas
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology BranchNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Jakub R. Kaczmarzyk
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology BranchNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Charles E. Spivak
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology BranchNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Michael H. Baumann
- Designer Drug Research UnitNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology BranchNational Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research ProgramBaltimoreMDUSA
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25
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Hoffman AF, Spivak CE, Lupica CR. Enhanced Dopamine Release by Dopamine Transport Inhibitors Described by a Restricted Diffusion Model and Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry. ACS Chem Neurosci 2016; 7:700-9. [PMID: 27018734 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5b00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) using carbon fiber electrodes is widely used to rapidly monitor changes in dopamine (DA) levels in vitro and in vivo. Current analytical approaches utilize parameters such as peak oxidation current amplitude and decay times to estimate release and uptake processes, respectively. However, peak amplitude changes are often observed with uptake inhibitors, thereby confounding the interpretation of these parameters. To overcome this limitation, we demonstrate that a simple five-parameter, two-compartment model mathematically describes DA signals as a balance of release (r/ke) and uptake (ku), summed with adsorption (kads and kdes) of DA to the carbon electrode surface. Using nonlinear regression, we demonstrate that our model precisely describes measured DA signals obtained in brain slice recordings. The parameters extracted from these curves were then validated using pharmacological manipulations that selectively alter vesicular release or DA transporter (DAT)-mediated uptake. Manipulation of DA release through altering the Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ratio or adding tetrodotoxin reduced the release parameter with no effect on the uptake parameter. DAT inhibitors methylenedioxypyrovalerone, cocaine, and nomifensine significantly reduced uptake and increased vesicular DA release. In contrast, a low concentration of amphetamine reduced uptake but had no effect on DA release. Finally, the kappa opioid receptor agonist U50,488 significantly reduced vesicular DA release but had no effect on uptake. Together, these data demonstrate a novel analytical approach to distinguish the effects of manipulations on DA release or uptake that can be used to interpret FSCV data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research
Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Charles E. Spivak
- Electrophysiology Research
Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research
Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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26
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Wang H, Treadway T, Covey DP, Cheer JF, Lupica CR. Cocaine-Induced Endocannabinoid Mobilization in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Cell Rep 2015; 12:1997-2008. [PMID: 26365195 PMCID: PMC4857883 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that acts upon the brain’s reward circuitry via the inhibition of mono-amine uptake. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCB) are lipid molecules released from midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons that modulate cocaine’s effects through poorly understood mechanisms. We find that cocaine stimulates release of the eCB, 2-arach-idonoylglycerol (2-AG), in the rat ventral midbrain to suppress GABAergic inhibition of DA neurons, through activation of presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors. Cocaine mobilizes 2-AG via inhibition of norepinephrine uptake and promotion of a cooperative interaction between Gq/11-coupled type-1 metabotropic glutamate and α1-adrenergic receptors to stimulate internal calcium stores and activate phospholipase C. The disinhibition of DA neurons by cocaine-mobilized 2-AG is also functionally relevant because it augments DA release in the nucleus accumbens in vivo. Our results identify a mechanism through which the eCB system can regulate the rewarding and addictive properties of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Tyler Treadway
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Daniel P Covey
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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27
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Zhang S, Qi J, Li X, Wang HL, Britt JP, Hoffman AF, Bonci A, Lupica CR, Morales M. Dopaminergic and glutamatergic microdomains in a subset of rodent mesoaccumbens axons. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:386-92. [PMID: 25664911 PMCID: PMC4340758 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mesoaccumbens fibers are thought to co-release dopamine and glutamate. However, the mechanism is unclear, and co-release by mesoaccumbens fibers has not been documented. Using electron microcopy, we found that some mesoaccumbens fibers have vesicular transporters for dopamine (VMAT2) in axon segments that are continuous with axon terminals that lack VMAT2, but contain vesicular glutamate transporters type 2 (VGluT2). In vivo overexpression of VMAT2 did not change the segregation of the two vesicular types, suggesting the existence of highly regulated mechanisms for maintaining this segregation. The mesoaccumbens axon terminals containing VGluT2 vesicles make asymmetric synapses, commonly associated with excitatory signaling. Using optogenetics, we found that dopamine and glutamate were released from the same mesoaccumbens fibers. These findings reveal a complex type of signaling by mesoaccumbens fibers in which dopamine and glutamate can be released from the same axons, but are not normally released at the same site or from the same synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jia Qi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xueping Li
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan P. Britt
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Synaptic Plasticity Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Antonello Bonci
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Synaptic Plasticity Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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28
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Qi J, Zhang S, Wang HL, Wang H, de Jesus Aceves Buendia J, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Seal RP, Morales M. A glutamatergic reward input from the dorsal raphe to ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5390. [PMID: 25388237 PMCID: PMC4231541 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe (DR) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) activates the fibres of the same reward pathway but the phenotype of this pathway and the direction of the reward-relevant fibres have not been determined. Here we report rewarding effects following activation of a DR-originating pathway consisting of vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3) containing neurons that form asymmetric synapses onto VTA dopamine neurons that project to nucleus accumbens. Optogenetic VTA activation of this projection elicits AMPA-mediated synaptic excitatory currents in VTA mesoaccumbens dopaminergic neurons and causes dopamine release in nucleus accumbens. Activation also reinforces instrumental behaviour and establishes conditioned place preferences. These findings indicate that the DR-VGluT3 pathway to VTA utilizes glutamate as a neurotransmitter and is a substrate linking the DR-one of the most sensitive reward sites in the brain--to VTA dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jose de Jesus Aceves Buendia
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca P. Seal
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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29
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Kindberg AA, Bendriem RM, Spivak CE, Chen J, Handreck A, Lupica CR, Liu J, Freed WJ, Lee CT. An in vitro model of human neocortical development using pluripotent stem cells: cocaine-induced cytoarchitectural alterations. Dis Model Mech 2014; 7:1397-405. [PMID: 25288682 PMCID: PMC4257008 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.017251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical development involves ordered specification of forebrain cortical progenitors to various neuronal subtypes, ultimately forming the layered cortical structure. Modeling of this process using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) would enable mechanistic studies of human neocortical development, while providing new avenues for exploration of developmental neocortical abnormalities. Here, we show that preserving hPSCs aggregates - allowing embryoid body formation - while adding basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) during neuroepithelial development generates neural rosettes showing dorsal forebrain identity, including Mash1(+) dorsal telencephalic GABAergic progenitors. Structures that mirrored the organization of the cerebral cortex formed after rosettes were seeded and cultured for 3 weeks in the presence of FGF18, BDNF and NT3. Neurons migrated along radial glia scaffolding, with deep-layer CTIP2(+) cortical neurons appearing after 1 week and upper-layer SATB2(+) cortical neurons forming during the second and third weeks. At the end of differentiation, these structures contained both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, with glutamatergic neurons being most abundant. Thus, this differentiation protocol generated an hPSC-based model that exhibits temporal patterning and a neuronal subtype ratio similar to that of the developing human neocortex. This model was used to examine the effects of cocaine during neocorticogenesis. Cocaine caused premature neuronal differentiation and enhanced neurogenesis of various cortical neuronal subtypes. These cocaine-induced changes were inhibited by the cytochrome P450 inhibitor cimetidine. This in vitro model enables mechanistic studies of neocorticogenesis, and can be used to examine the mechanisms through which cocaine alters the development of the human neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail A Kindberg
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Raphael M Bendriem
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Charles E Spivak
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Annelie Handreck
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover 30173, Germany
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Jinny Liu
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - William J Freed
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
| | - Chun-Ting Lee
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
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30
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Wang H, Lupica CR. Release of endogenous cannabinoids from ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons and the modulation of synaptic processes. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 52:24-7. [PMID: 24495779 PMCID: PMC4018213 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 07/15/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous cannabinoids play important roles in a variety of functions in the mammalian brain, including the regulation reward-related information processing. The primary mechanism through which this is achieved is the presynaptic modulation of synaptic transmission. During reward- and reinforcement-related behavior dopamine levels increase in forebrain areas and this has recently been shown to be modulated by the endocannabinoid system. Therefore, understanding how endocannabinoids are mobilized to modulate synaptic inputs impinging on midbrain dopamine neurons is crucial to a complete understanding of the roles that these molecules play in reward behavior, drug abuse and addiction. Here we summarize the literature describing short-term and long-term regulation of afferent connections on dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area via endocannabinoid activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors, and describe the mechanisms through which these molecules are released during reward-based behavior and exposure to abused drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Corresponding author: 251 Bayview Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21224, USA, Phone: (443) 740-2824,
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31
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Hiranita T, Wilkinson DS, Hong WC, Zou MF, Kopajtic TA, Soto PL, Lupica CR, Newman AH, Katz JL. 2-isoxazol-3-phenyltropane derivatives of cocaine: molecular and atypical system effects at the dopamine transporter. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2014; 349:297-309. [PMID: 24518035 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.113.212738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined RTI-371 [3β-(4-methylphenyl)-2β-[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-isoxazol-5-yl]tropane], a phenyltropane cocaine analog with effects distinct from cocaine, and assessed potential mechanisms for those effects by comparison with its constitutional isomer, RTI-336 [3β-(4-chlorophenyl)-2β-[3-(4-methylphenyl)-isoxazol-5-yl]tropane]. In mice, RTI-371 was less effective than cocaine and RTI-336 in stimulating locomotion, and incompletely substituted (∼60% maximum at 5 minutes or 1 hour after injection) in a cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p.)/saline discrimination procedure; RTI-336 completely substituted. In contrast to RTI-336, RTI-371 was not self-administered, and its pretreatment (1.0-10 mg/kg i.p.) dose-dependently decreased maximal cocaine self-administration more potently than food-maintained responding. RTI-336 pretreatment dose-dependently left-shifted the cocaine self-administration dose-effect curve. Both RTI-336 and RTI-371 displaced [(3)H]WIN35,428 [[(3)H](-)-3β-(4-fluorophenyl)-tropan-2β-carboxylic acid methyl ester tartrate] binding to striatal dopamine transporters (DATs) with Ki values of 10.8 and 7.81 nM, respectively, and had lower affinities at serotonin or norepinephrine transporters, or muscarinic and σ receptors. The relative low affinity at these sites suggests the DAT as the primary target of RTI-371 with minimal contributions from these other targets. In biochemical assays probing the outward-facing DAT conformation, both RTI-371 and RTI-336 had effects similar to cocaine, suggesting little contribution of DAT conformation to the unique pharmacology of RTI-371. The locomotor-stimulant effects of RTI-371 (3.0-30 mg/kg i.p.) were comparable in wild-type and knockout cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) mice, indicating that previously reported CB1 allosteric effects do not decrease cocaine-like effects of RTI-371. DAT occupancy in vivo was most rapid with cocaine and least with RTI-371. The slow apparent association rate may allow compensatory actions that in turn dampen cocaine-like stimulation, and give RTI-371 its unique pharmacologic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Hiranita
- Psychobiology (T.H., D.S.W., T.A.K., J.L.K.), Cellular Pathobiology Section (W.C.H.), Medicinal Chemistry (M.F.Z., A.H.N.), and Electrophysiology (C.R.L.) Sections, Intramural Research Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; and Texas Tech University, College of Education, Lubbock, Texas (P.L.S.)
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32
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Desai RI, Grandy DK, Lupica CR, Katz JL. Pharmacological characterization of a dopamine transporter ligand that functions as a cocaine antagonist. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2013; 348:106-15. [PMID: 24194528 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.113.208538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An N-butyl analog of benztropine, JHW007 [N-(n-butyl)-3α-[bis(4'-fluorophenyl)methoxy]-tropane], binds to dopamine transporters (DAT) but has reduced cocaine-like behavioral effects and antagonizes various effects of cocaine. The present study further examined mechanisms underlying these effects. Cocaine dose-dependently increased locomotion, whereas JHW007 was minimally effective but increased activity 24 hours after injection. JHW007 (3-10 mg/kg) dose-dependently and fully antagonized the locomotor-stimulant effects of cocaine (5-60 mg/kg), whereas N-methyl and N-allyl analogs and the dopamine (DA) uptake inhibitor GBR12909 [1-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine dihydrochloride] stimulated activity and failed to antagonize effects of cocaine. JHW007 also blocked the locomotor-stimulant effects of the DAT inhibitor GBR12909 but not stimulation produced by the δ-opioid agonist SNC 80 [4-[(R)-[(2S,5R)-4-allyl-2,5-dimethylpiperazin-1-yl](3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide], which increases activity through nondopaminergic mechanisms. JHW007 blocked locomotor-stimulant effects of cocaine in both DA D2- and CB1-receptor knockout and wild-type mice, indicating a lack of involvement of these targets. Furthermore, JHW007 blocked effects of cocaine on stereotyped rearing but enhanced stereotyped sniffing, suggesting that interference with locomotion by enhanced stereotypies is not responsible for the cocaine-antagonist effects of JHW007. Time-course data indicate that administration of JHW007 antagonized the locomotor-stimulant effects of cocaine within 10 minutes of injection, whereas occupancy at the DAT, as determined in vivo, did not reach a maximum until 4.5 hours after injection. The σ1-receptor antagonist BD 1008 [N-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-N-methyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)ethylamine dihydrobromide] blocked the locomotor-stimulant effects of cocaine. Overall, these findings suggest that JHW007 has cocaine-antagonist effects that are deviate from its DAT occupancy and that some other mechanism, possibly σ-receptor antagonist activity, may contribute to the cocaine-antagonist effect of JHW007 and like drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev I Desai
- Psychobiology Section (R.I.D., J.L.K.) and Electrophysiology Research Section (C.R.L.), National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland; and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon (D.K.G.)
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Good CH, Wang H, Chen YH, Mejias-Aponte CA, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR. Dopamine D4 receptor excitation of lateral habenula neurons via multiple cellular mechanisms. J Neurosci 2013; 33:16853-64. [PMID: 24155292 PMCID: PMC3807019 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1844-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamatergic lateral habenula (LHb) output communicates negative motivational valence to ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons via activation of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). However, the LHb also receives a poorly understood DA input from the VTA, which we hypothesized constitutes an important feedback loop regulating DA responses to stimuli. Using whole-cell electrophysiology in rat brain slices, we find that DA initiates a depolarizing inward current (I(DAi)) and increases spontaneous firing in 32% of LHb neurons. I(DAi) was also observed upon application of amphetamine or the DA uptake blockers cocaine or GBR12935, indicating involvement of endogenous DA. I(DAi) was blocked by D4 receptor (D4R) antagonists (L745,870 or L741,742), and mimicked by a selective D4R agonist (A412997). I(DAi) was associated with increased whole-cell conductance and was blocked by Cs+ or a selective blocker of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channel, ZD7288. I(DAi) was also associated with a depolarizing shift in half-activation voltage for the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) mediated by HCN channels. Recordings from LHb neurons containing fluorescent retrograde tracers revealed that I(DAi) was observed only in cells projecting to the RMTg and not the VTA. In parallel with direct depolarization, DA also strongly increased synaptic glutamate release and reduced synaptic GABA release onto LHb cells. These results demonstrate that DA can excite glutamatergic LHb output to RMTg via multiple cellular mechanisms. Since the RMTg strongly inhibits midbrain DA neurons, activation of LHb output to RMTg by DA represents a negative feedback loop that may dampen DA neuron output following activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron H. Good
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch
- Electrophysiology Research Section, and
| | - Huikun Wang
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch
- Electrophysiology Research Section, and
| | - Yuan-Hao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Carlos A. Mejias-Aponte
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, and
| | | | - Carl R. Lupica
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch
- Electrophysiology Research Section, and
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Cruz FC, Koya E, Guez-Barber DH, Bossert JM, Lupica CR, Shaham Y, Hope BT. New technologies for examining the role of neuronal ensembles in drug addiction and fear. Nat Rev Neurosci 2013; 14:743-54. [PMID: 24088811 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Correlational data suggest that learned associations are encoded within neuronal ensembles. However, it has been difficult to prove that neuronal ensembles mediate learned behaviours because traditional pharmacological and lesion methods, and even newer cell type-specific methods, affect both activated and non-activated neurons. In addition, previous studies on synaptic and molecular alterations induced by learning did not distinguish between behaviourally activated and non-activated neurons. Here, we describe three new approaches--Daun02 inactivation, FACS sorting of activated neurons and Fos-GFP transgenic rats--that have been used to selectively target and study activated neuronal ensembles in models of conditioned drug effects and relapse. We also describe two new tools--Fos-tTA transgenic mice and inactivation of CREB-overexpressing neurons--that have been used to study the role of neuronal ensembles in conditioned fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio C Cruz
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse-National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Abstract
The availability of potent synthetic agonists for cannabinoid receptors has facilitated our understanding of cannabinoid actions on synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Moreover, the ability of these compounds to inhibit neurotransmitter release at many central synapses is thought to underlie most of the behavioral effects of cannabinoid agonists. However, despite the widespread use and misuse of marijuana, and recognition of its potential adverse psychological effects in humans, comparatively few studies have examined the actions of its primary psychoactive constituent, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), at well-defined synaptic pathways. Here we examine the recent literature describing the effects of acute and repeated THC exposure on synaptic function in several brain regions and explore the importance of these neurobiological actions of THC in drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Hoffman
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Electrophysiology Research Section, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Fitzgerald ML, Chan J, Mackie K, Lupica CR, Pickel VM. Altered dendritic distribution of dopamine D2 receptors and reduction in mitochondrial number in parvalbumin-containing interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor knockout mice. J Comp Neurol 2013; 520:4013-31. [PMID: 22592925 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is a brain region integral to complex behaviors that are highly influenced by cannabinoids and by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R)-mediated regulation of fast-firing parvalbumin-containing interneurons. We have recently shown that constitutive deletion of the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) greatly reduces parvalbumin levels in these neurons. The effects of CB1R deletion on PL parvalbumin interneurons may be ascribed to loss of CB1R-mediated retrograde signaling on mesocortical dopamine transmission, and, in turn, altered expression and/or subcellular distribution of D2R in the PL. Furthermore, diminished parvalbumin expression could indicate metabolic changes in fast-firing interneurons that may be reflected in changes in mitochondrial density in this population. We therefore comparatively examined electron microscopic dual labeling of D2R and parvalbumin in CB1 (-/-) and CB1 (+/+) mice to test the hypothesis that absence of CB1R produces changes in D2R localization and mitochondrial distribution in parvalbumin-containing interneurons of the PL. CB1 (-/-) mice had a significantly lower density of cytoplasmic D2R-immunogold particles in medium parvalbumin-labeled dendrites and a concomitant increase in the density of these particles in small dendrites. These dendrites received both excitatory and inhibitory-type synapses from unlabeled terminals and contained many mitochondria, whose numbers were significantly reduced in CB1 (-/-) mice. Non-parvalbumin dendrites showed no between-group differences in either D2R distribution or mitochondrial number. These results suggest that cannabinoid signaling provides an important determinant of dendritic D2 receptor distribution and mitochondrial availability in fast-spiking interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Fitzgerald
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Baumann MH, Partilla JS, Lehner KR, Thorndike EB, Hoffman AF, Holy M, Rothman RB, Goldberg SR, Lupica CR, Sitte HH, Brandt SD, Tella SR, Cozzi NV, Schindler CW. Powerful cocaine-like actions of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a principal constituent of psychoactive 'bath salts' products. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:552-62. [PMID: 23072836 PMCID: PMC3572453 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The abuse of psychoactive 'bath salts' containing cathinones such as 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a growing public health concern, yet little is known about their pharmacology. Here, we evaluated the effects of MDPV and related drugs using molecular, cellular, and whole-animal methods. In vitro transporter assays were performed in rat brain synaptosomes and in cells expressing human transporters, while clearance of endogenous dopamine was measured by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in mouse striatal slices. Assessments of in vivo neurochemistry, locomotor activity, and cardiovascular parameters were carried out in rats. We found that MDPV blocks uptake of [(3)H]dopamine (IC(50)=4.1 nM) and [(3)H]norepinephrine (IC(50)=26 nM) with high potency but has weak effects on uptake of [(3)H]serotonin (IC(50)=3349 nM). In contrast to other psychoactive cathinones (eg, mephedrone), MDPV is not a transporter substrate. The clearance of endogenous dopamine is inhibited by MDPV and cocaine in a similar manner, but MDPV displays greater potency and efficacy. Consistent with in vitro findings, MDPV (0.1-0.3 mg/kg, intravenous) increases extracellular concentrations of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Additionally, MDPV (0.1-3.0 mg/kg, subcutaneous) is at least 10 times more potent than cocaine at producing locomotor activation, tachycardia, and hypertension in rats. Our data show that MDPV is a monoamine transporter blocker with increased potency and selectivity for catecholamines when compared with cocaine. The robust stimulation of dopamine transmission by MDPV predicts serious potential for abuse and may provide a mechanism to explain the adverse effects observed in humans taking high doses of 'bath salts' preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Baumann
- Medicinal Chemistry Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - John S Partilla
- Medicinal Chemistry Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kurt R Lehner
- Medicinal Chemistry Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric B Thorndike
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marion Holy
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard B Rothman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Steven R Goldberg
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon D Brandt
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Srihari R Tella
- Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield, VA, USA
| | - Nicholas V Cozzi
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Charles W Schindler
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Zhang Y, Granholm AC, Huh K, Shan L, Diaz-Ruiz O, Malik N, Olson L, Hoffer BJ, Lupica CR, Hoffman AF, Bäckman CM. PTEN deletion enhances survival, neurite outgrowth and function of dopamine neuron grafts to MitoPark mice. Brain 2012; 135:2736-49. [PMID: 22961549 PMCID: PMC3437026 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials in Parkinson’s disease have shown that transplants of embryonic mesencephalic dopamine neurons form new functional connections within the host striatum, but the therapeutic benefits have been highly variable. One obstacle has been poor survival and integration of grafted dopamine neurons. Activation of Akt, a serine/threonine kinase that promotes cell survival and growth, increases the ability of neurons to survive after injury and to regenerate lost neuronal connections. Because the lipid phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) inhibits Akt, we generated a mouse with conditional knock-out of PTEN in dopamine neurons, leading to constitutive expression of Akt in these neurons. Ventral mesencephalic tissue from dopamine phosphatase and tensin homologue knock-out or control animals was then transplanted bilaterally into the dopamine depleted striata of MitoPark mice that express a parkinsonian phenotype because of severe respiratory chain dysfunction in dopamine neurons. After transplantation into MitoPark mice, PTEN-deficient dopamine neurons were less susceptible to cell death, and exhibited a more extensive pattern of fibre outgrowth compared to control grafts. Voltammetric measurements demonstrated that dopamine release and reuptake were significantly increased in the striata of animals receiving dopamine PTEN knock-out transplants. These animals also displayed enhanced spontaneous and drug-induced locomotor activity, relative to control transplanted MitoPark mice. Our results suggest that disinhibition of the Akt-signalling pathway may provide a valuable strategy to enhance survival, function and integration of grafted dopamine neurons within the host striatum and, more generally, to improve survival and integration of different forms of neural grafts.
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Affiliation(s)
- YaJun Zhang
- Integrative Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Programme, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Koya E, Cruz FC, Ator R, Golden SA, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Hope BT. Silent synapses in selectively activated nucleus accumbens neurons following cocaine sensitization. Nat Neurosci 2012; 15:1556-62. [PMID: 23023294 PMCID: PMC3483356 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine-induced alterations in synaptic glutamate function in nucleus accumbens are thought to mediate drug-related behaviors such as psychomotor sensitization. However, previous studies examined global alterations in randomly selected accumbens neurons regardless of their activation state during cocaine-induced behavior. We recently found that a minority of strongly activated Fos-expressing accumbens neurons are necessary for cocaine-induced psychomotor sensitization while the majority of accumbens neurons are less directly involved. Here, we assessed synaptic alterations in these strongly activated accumbens neurons in c-fos-GFP mice that express a fusion protein of Fos and green fluorescent protein (GFP) in strongly activated neurons and compared these alterations with those in surrounding non-activated neurons. Cocaine sensitization produced higher levels of ‘silent synapses’ that contained functional NMDA receptors and non-functional AMPA receptors in only GFP-positive neurons, 6–11 days after sensitization. Thus unique synaptic alterations are induced in the most strongly activated accumbens neurons that mediate psychomotor sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Koya
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Diaz-Ruiz O, Zhang Y, Shan L, Malik N, Hoffman AF, Ladenheim B, Cadet JL, Lupica CR, Tagliaferro A, Brusco A, Bäckman CM. Attenuated response to methamphetamine sensitization and deficits in motor learning and memory after selective deletion of β-catenin in dopamine neurons. Learn Mem 2012; 19:341-50. [PMID: 22822182 DOI: 10.1101/lm.026716.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we analyzed mice with a targeted deletion of β-catenin in DA neurons (DA-βcat KO mice) to address the functional significance of this molecule in the shaping of synaptic responses associated with motor learning and following exposure to drugs of abuse. Relative to controls, DA-βcat KO mice showed significant deficits in their ability to form long-term memories and displayed reduced expression of methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization after subsequent challenge doses with this drug, suggesting that motor learning and drug-induced learning plasticity are altered in these mice. Morphological analyses showed no changes in the number or distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase-labeled neurons in the ventral midbrain. While electrochemical measurements in the striatum determined no changes in acute DA release and uptake, a small but significant decrease in DA release was detected in mutant animals after prolonged repetitive stimulation, suggesting a possible deficit in the DA neurotransmitter vesicle reserve pool. However, electron microscopy analyses did not reveal significant differences in the content of synaptic vesicles per terminal, and striatal DA levels were unchanged in DA-βcat KO animals. In contrast, striatal mRNA levels for several markers known to regulate synaptic plasticity and DA neurotransmission were altered in DA-βcat KO mice. This study demonstrates that ablation of β-catenin in DA neurons leads to alterations of motor and reward-associated memories and to adaptations of the DA neurotransmitter system and suggests that β-catenin signaling in DA neurons is required to facilitate the synaptic remodeling underlying the consolidation of long-term memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Diaz-Ruiz
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Spivak CE, Kim W, Liu QR, Lupica CR, Doyle ME. Blockade of β-cell K(ATP) channels by the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 423:13-8. [PMID: 22609205 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system has been demonstrated to be active in the pancreatic β-cell. However the effects of the endocannabinoids (ECs) on insulin secretion are not well defined and may vary depending on the metabolic state of the β-cell. Specifically it is not known whether the effects of the ECs occur by activation of the cannabinoid receptors or via their direct interaction with the ion channels of the β-cell. To begin to delineate the effects of ECs on β-cell function, we examined how the EC, 2-AG influences β-cell ion channels in the absence of glucose stimulation. The mouse insulinoma cell line R7T1 was used to survey the effects of 2-AG on the high voltage activated (HVA) calcium, the delayed rectifier (K(v)), and the ATP-sensitive K (K(ATP)) channels by whole cell patch clamp recording. At 2mM glucose, 2-AG inhibited the HVA calcium (the majority of which are L-type channels), K(v), and K(ATP) channels. The channel exhibiting the most sensitivity to 2-AG blockade was the K(ATP) channel, where the IC(50) for 2-AG was 1 μM. Pharmacological agents revealed that the blockade of all these channels was independent of cannabinoid receptors. Our results provide a mechanism for the previous observations that CB1R agonists increase insulin secretion at low glucose concentrations through CB1R independent blockade of the K(ATP) channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Spivak
- Cellular Neurobiology Branch, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Sterky FH, Hoffman AF, Milenkovic D, Bao B, Paganelli A, Edgar D, Wibom R, Lupica CR, Olson L, Larsson NG. Altered dopamine metabolism and increased vulnerability to MPTP in mice with partial deficiency of mitochondrial complex I in dopamine neurons. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 21:1078-89. [PMID: 22090423 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of observations support the hypothesis that deficiency of complex I [reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH):ubiquinone oxidoreductase] of the mitochondrial respiratory chain plays a role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, recent data from a study using mice with knockout of the complex I subunit NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase iron-sulfur protein 4 (Ndufs4) has challenged this concept as these mice show degeneration of non-dopamine neurons. In addition, primary dopamine (DA) neurons derived from such mice, reported to lack complex I activity, remain sensitive to toxins believed to act through inhibition of complex I. We tissue-specifically disrupted the Ndufs4 gene in mouse heart and found an apparent severe deficiency of complex I activity in disrupted mitochondria, whereas oxidation of substrates that result in entry of electrons at the level of complex I was only mildly reduced in intact isolated heart mitochondria. Further analyses of detergent-solubilized mitochondria showed the mutant complex I to be unstable but capable of forming supercomplexes with complex I enzyme activity. The loss of Ndufs4 thus causes only a mild complex I deficiency in vivo. We proceeded to disrupt Ndufs4 in midbrain DA neurons and found no overt neurodegeneration, no loss of striatal innervation and no symptoms of Parkinsonism in tissue-specific knockout animals. However, DA homeostasis was abnormal with impaired DA release and increased levels of DA metabolites. Furthermore, Ndufs4 DA neuron knockouts were more vulnerable to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. Taken together, these findings lend in vivo support to the hypothesis that complex I deficiency can contribute to the pathophysiology of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik H Sterky
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Lane DA, Chan J, Lupica CR, Pickel VM. Cannabinoid-1 receptor gene deletion has a compartment-specific affect on the dendritic and axonal availability of μ-opioid receptors and on dopamine axons in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Synapse 2011; 64:886-97. [PMID: 20939059 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid-type 1 (CB1) receptors are implicated in μ-opioid receptor (μ-OR)-dependent reward ascribed partially to mesolimbic dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) shell. Thus, CB1 receptor gene deletion may preferentially alter the availability of μ-ORs and/or dopamine innervation in this brain region, which is functionally distinct from the motor-associated Acb core. To test this hypothesis, we examined the electron microscopic immunolabeling of the μ-OR and the dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in Acb shell, and core of adult C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) and CB1-knock-out (KO) mice. The μ-OR-immunogold particles were observed in the cytoplasm and on the plasmalemma in dendrites, dendritic spines, and axon terminals throughout the Acb. Compared to WT, the Acb shell of CB1-KO mice showed a lower cytoplasmic density of μ-ORs in dendrites and fewer μ-OR labeled, but not unlabeled, dendritic spines. In this region, the CB1-KO's had a significantly enhanced plasmalemmal density of μ-OR-immunogold in axon terminals, 70% of which formed excitatory-type synapses. However, the number of both μ-OR-labeled terminals and TH-labeled small varicosities was significantly reduced in the Acb shell of CB1-KO's. These adaptations were not seen in the Acb core, where CB1-KO's had a preferentially lower dendritic plasmalemmal and total spine density of μ-OR immunogold. Our results indicate that constitutive deletion of the CB1 receptor gene has a major impact on the pre and postsynaptic availability of μ-ORs at axospinous synapses and on the dopamine innervation of the Acb shell as well as the dendritic surface expression of μ-ORs in Acb core of mature rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane A Lane
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA
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Luo AH, Tahsili-Fahadan P, Wise RA, Lupica CR, Aston-Jones G. Linking context with reward: a functional circuit from hippocampal CA3 to ventral tegmental area. Science 2011; 333:353-7. [PMID: 21764750 DOI: 10.1126/science.1204622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Reward-motivated behavior is strongly influenced by the learned significance of contextual stimuli in the environment. However, the neural pathways that mediate context-reward relations are not well understood. We have identified a circuit from area CA3 of dorsal hippocampus to ventral tegmental area (VTA) that uses lateral septum (LS) as a relay. Theta frequency stimulation of CA3 excited VTA dopamine (DA) neurons and inhibited non-DA neurons. DA neuron excitation was likely mediated by disinhibition because local antagonism of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors blocked responses to CA3 stimulation. Inactivating components of the CA3-LS-VTA pathway blocked evoked responses in VTA and also reinstatement of cocaine-seeking by contextual stimuli. This transsynaptic link between hippocampus and VTA appears to be an important substrate by which environmental context regulates goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice H Luo
- Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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Fitzgerald ML, Lupica CR, Pickel VM. Decreased parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the cortex and striatum of mice lacking the CB1 receptor. Synapse 2011; 65:827-31. [PMID: 21445945 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 01/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cortical and striatal regions of the brain contain high levels of the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor, the central neuronal mediator of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity evoked by endocannabinoids. The expression levels of parvalbumin, a calcium-binding protein found in fast-spiking interneurons of both regions, may be controlled in part by synaptic activity during critical periods of development. However, there is currently no evidence that CB1 receptor expression affects parvalbumin levels in either cortical or striatal interneurons. To assess this possibility, we examined parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the dorsolateral striatum, primary motor cortex (M1), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of CB1 knockout and wild-type C57/BL6 mice. Quantitative densitometry showed a significant decrease in parvalbumin immunoreactivity within individual neurons in each of these regions of CB1 knockout mice relative to controls. A significantly lower density (number of cells per unit area) of parvalbumin-labeled neurons was observed in the striatum, but not the cortical regions of CB1 knockout mice. These findings suggest that CB1 receptor deletion may elicit a compensatory mechanism for network homeostasis affecting parvalbumin-containing cortical and striatal interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Fitzgerald
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Good CH, Hoffman AF, Hoffer BJ, Chefer VI, Shippenberg TS, Bäckman CM, Larsson NG, Olson L, Gellhaar S, Galter D, Lupica CR. Impaired nigrostriatal function precedes behavioral deficits in a genetic mitochondrial model of Parkinson's disease. FASEB J 2011; 25:1333-44. [PMID: 21233488 DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-173625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) involves progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons over an extended period of time. Mitochondrial damage may lead to PD, and neurotoxins affecting mitochondria are widely used to produce degeneration of the nigrostriatal circuitry. Deletion of the mitochondrial transcription factor A gene (Tfam) in C57BL6 mouse DA neurons leads to a slowly progressing parkinsonian phenotype in which motor impairment is first observed at ~12 wk of age. L-DOPA treatment improves motor dysfunction in these "MitoPark" mice, but this declines when DA neuron loss is more complete. To investigate early neurobiological events potentially contributing to PD, we compared the neurochemical and electrophysiological properties of the nigrostriatal circuit in behaviorally asymptomatic 6- to 8-wk-old MitoPark mice and age-matched control littermates. Release, but not uptake of DA, was impaired in MitoPark mouse striatal brain slices, and nigral DA neurons lacked characteristic pacemaker activity compared with control mice. Also, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channel function was reduced in MitoPark DA neurons, although HCN messenger RNA was unchanged. This study demonstrates altered nigrostriatal function that precedes behavioral parkinsonian symptoms in this genetic PD model. A full understanding of these presymptomatic cellular properties may lead to more effective early treatments of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron H Good
- Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Luo Y, Good CH, Diaz-Ruiz O, Zhang Y, Hoffman AF, Shan L, Kuang SY, Malik N, Chefer VI, Tomac AC, Lupica CR, Bäckman CM. NMDA receptors on non-dopaminergic neurons in the VTA support cocaine sensitization. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12141. [PMID: 20808436 PMCID: PMC2922329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The initiation of behavioral sensitization to cocaine and other psychomotor stimulants is thought to reflect N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) circuitry. The importance of drug induced NMDAR mediated adaptations in ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons, and its association with drug seeking behaviors, has recently been evaluated in Cre-loxp mice lacking functional NMDARs in DA neurons expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the endogenous dopamine transporter gene (NR1(DATCre) mice). METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using an additional NR1(DATCre) mouse transgenic model, we demonstrate that while the selective inactivation of NMDARs in DA neurons eliminates the induction of molecular changes leading to synaptic strengthening, behavioral measures such as cocaine induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference remain intact in NR1(DATCre) mice. Since VTA DA neurons projecting to the prefrontal cortex and amygdala express little or no detectable levels of the dopamine transporter, it has been speculated that NMDA receptors in DA neurons projecting to these brain areas may have been spared in NR1(DATCre) mice. Here we demonstrate that the NMDA receptor gene is ablated in the majority of VTA DA neurons, including those exhibiting undetectable DAT expression levels in our NR1(DATCre) transgenic model, and that application of an NMDAR antagonist within the VTA of NR1(DATCre) animals still blocks sensitization to cocaine. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These results eliminate the possibility of NMDAR mediated neuroplasticity in the different DA neuronal subpopulations in our NR1(DATCre) mouse model and therefore suggest that NMDARs on non-DA neurons within the VTA must play a major role in cocaine-related addictive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cameron H. Good
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Oscar Diaz-Ruiz
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - YaJun Zhang
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lufei Shan
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Serena Y. Kuang
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nasir Malik
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vladimir I. Chefer
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andreas C. Tomac
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cristina M. Bäckman
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Laaris N, Good CH, Lupica CR. Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol is a full agonist at CB1 receptors on GABA neuron axon terminals in the hippocampus. Neuropharmacology 2010; 59:121-7. [PMID: 20417220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2009] [Revised: 04/12/2010] [Accepted: 04/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Marijuana impairs learning and memory through actions of its psychoactive constituent, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), in the hippocampus, through activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R). CB1Rs are found on glutamate and GABA neuron axon terminals in the hippocampus where they control neurotransmitter release. Previous studies suggest that Delta(9)-THC is a partial agonist of CB1Rs on glutamate axon terminals in the hippocampus, whereas its effects on GABA terminals have not been described. Using whole-cell electrophysiology in brain slices from C57BL6/J mice, we examined Delta(9)-THC effects on synaptic GABA IPSCs and postsynaptic GABA currents elicited by laser-induced photo-uncaging (photolysis) of alpha-carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl (CNB) caged GABA. Despite robust inhibition of synaptic IPSCs in wildtype mice by the full synthetic agonist WIN55,212-2, using a Tween-80 and DMSO vehicle, Delta(9)-THC had no effects on IPSCs in this, or in a low concentration of another vehicle, randomly-methylated beta-cyclodextrin (RAMEB, 0.023%). However, IPSCs were inhibited by Delta(9)-THC in 0.1% RAMEB, but not in neurons from CB1R knockout mice. Whereas Delta(9)-THC did not affect photolysis-evoked GABA currents, these responses were prolonged by a GABA uptake inhibitor. Concentration-response curves revealed that the maximal effects of Delta(9)-THC and WIN55,212-2 were similar, indicating that Delta(9)-THC is a full agonist at CB1Rs on GABA axon terminals. These results suggest that Delta(9)-THC inhibits GABA release, but does not directly alter GABA(A) receptors or GABA uptake in the hippocampus. Furthermore, full agonist effects of Delta(9)-THC on IPSCs likely result from a much higher expression of CB1Rs on GABA versus glutamate axon terminals in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Laaris
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Lupica CR, Riegel AC. Endocannabinoid release from midbrain dopamine neurons: a potential substrate for cannabinoid receptor antagonist treatment of addiction. Neuropharmacology 2009; 48:1105-16. [PMID: 15878779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2004] [Revised: 02/18/2005] [Accepted: 03/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Substantial evidence suggests that all commonly abused drugs act upon the brain reward circuitry to ultimately increase extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and other forebrain areas. Many drugs of abuse appear to increase dopamine levels by dramatically increase the firing and bursting rates of dopamine neurons located in the ventral mesencephalon. Recent clinical evidence in humans and behavioral evidence in animals indicate that cannabinoid receptor antagonists such as SR141716A (Rimonabant) can reduce the self-administration of, and craving for, several commonly addictive drugs. However, the mechanism of this potentially beneficial effect has not yet been identified. We propose, on the basis of recent studies in our laboratory and others, that these antagonists may act by blocking the effects of endogenously released cannabinoid molecules (endocannabinoids) that are released in an activity- and calcium-dependent manner from mesencephalic dopamine neurons. It is hypothesized that, through the antagonism of cannabinoid CB1 receptors located on inhibitory and excitatory axon terminals targeting the midbrain dopamine neurons, the effects of the endocannabinoids are occluded. The data from these studies therefore suggest that the endocannabinoid system and the CB1 receptors located in the ventral mesencephalon may play an important role in regulating drug reward processes, and that this substrate is recruited whenever dopamine neuron activity is increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Lupica
- Cellular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 5500 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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Li X, Hoffman AF, Peng XQ, Lupica CR, Gardner EL, Xi ZX. Attenuation of basal and cocaine-enhanced locomotion and nucleus accumbens dopamine in cannabinoid CB1-receptor-knockout mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 204:1-11. [PMID: 19099297 PMCID: PMC3729960 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1432-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 06/23/2008] [Accepted: 12/01/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Effect of cannabinoid CB1 receptor deletion on cocaine's actions is controversial. This is partly based on findings in CB1-receptor-knockout (CB1(-/-)) mice with CD1 genetic background. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we used CB1(-/-) mice with a C57BL/6J genetic background to further investigate the role of CB1 receptors in cocaine's action. MATERIALS AND METHODS Locomotor activity was assessed using AccuScan locomotor chambers. Brain extracellular dopamine (DA) levels were measured by in vivo microdialysis and by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). RESULTS CB1(-/-) mice displayed a significant reduction in basal levels of locomotion and extracellular DA, as well as in cocaine-enhanced locomotion and extracellular DA, as compared to their wild-type (CB1(+/+)) littermates. The reduction in basal and cocaine-enhanced DA appears to be related to a reduction in basal DA release, not to an increase in DA clearance, as indicated by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in brain slices. Pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors by SR141716 inhibited locomotion and NAc DA release in CB1(+/+) mice. CONCLUSIONS The present findings suggest an important role for CB1 receptors in mediating cocaine's behavioral and neurochemical effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Li
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Neurophysiology Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD 21224 USA
| | - Xiao-Qing Peng
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Neurophysiology Section, Cellular Neurobiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD 21224 USA
| | - Eliot L. Gardner
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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