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Orihuel J, Capellán R, Casquero-Veiga M, Soto-Montenegro ML, Desco M, Oteo-Vives M, Ibáñez-Moragues M, Magro-Calvo N, Luján VM, Morcillo MÁ, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. The long-term effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on brain structure and function assessed through neuroimaging techniques in male and female rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 74:47-63. [PMID: 37276836 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several studies performed on human subjects have examined the effects of adolescent cannabis consumption on brain structure or function using brain imaging techniques. However, the evidence from these studies is usually heterogenous and affected by several confounding variables. Animal models of adolescent cannabinoid exposure may help to overcome these difficulties. In this exploratory study, we aim to increase our understanding of the protracted effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in rats of both sexes using magnetic resonance (MR) to obtain volumetric data, assess grey and white matter microstructure with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and measure brain metabolites with 1H-MR spectroscopy (MRS); in addition, we studied brain function using positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose as the tracer. THC-exposed rats exhibited volumetric and microstructural alterations in the striatum, globus pallidus, lateral ventricles, thalamus, and septal nuclei in a sex-specific manner. THC administration also reduced fractional anisotropy in several white matter tracts, prominently in rostral sections, while in vivo MRS identified lower levels of cortical choline compounds. THC-treated males had increased metabolism in the cerebellum and olfactory bulb and decreased metabolism in the cingulate cortex. By contrast, THC-treated females showed hypermetabolism in a cluster of voxels comprising the entorhinal piriform cortices and in the cingulate cortex. These results indicate that mild THC exposure during adolescence leaves a lingering mark on brain structure and function in a sex-dependant manner. Some of the changes found here resemble those observed in human studies and highlight the importance of studying sex-specific effects in cannabinoid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Casquero-Veiga
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Luisa Soto-Montenegro
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Grupo de Fisiopatología y Farmacología del Sistema Digestivo de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (NEUGUT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Oteo-Vives
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Ibáñez-Moragues
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Magro-Calvo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor M Luján
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Morcillo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
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Sanz-Martos AB, Fuentes-Verdugo E, Merino B, Morales L, Pérez V, Capellán R, Pellón R, Miguéns M, Del Olmo N. Schedule-induced alcohol intake during adolescence sex dependently impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial memory. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114576. [PMID: 37423317 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In a previous study, we demonstrated that intermittent ethanol administration in male adolescent animals impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial memory, particularly under conditions of excessive ethanol administration. In this current study, we subjected adolescent male and female Wistar rats an alcohol schedule-induced drinking (SID) procedure to obtain an elevated rate of alcohol self-administration and assessed their hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. We also studied hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as the expression levels of several genes involved in these mechanisms. Both male and female rats exhibited similar drinking patterns throughout the sessions of the SID protocol reaching similar blood alcohol levels in all the groups. However, only male rats that consumed alcohol showed spatial memory deficits which correlated with inhibition of hippocampal synaptic plasticity as long-term potentiation. In contrast, alcohol did not modify hippocampal gene expression of AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptor subunits, although there are differences in the expression levels of several genes relevant to synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes, related to alcohol consumption as Ephb2, sex differences as Pi3k or the interaction of both factors such as Pten. In conclusion, elevated alcohol intake during adolescence seems to have a negative impact on spatial memory and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a sex dependent manner, even both sexes exhibit similar blood alcohol concentrations and drinking patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Belén Sanz-Martos
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esmeralda Fuentes-Verdugo
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Merino
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, School of Pharmacy, San Pablo-CEU University, Urb. Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Morales
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, School of Pharmacy, San Pablo-CEU University, Urb. Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Pellón
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Miguéns
- Department of Basic Psychology I, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Del Olmo
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Becchi S, Chieng B, Bradfield LA, Capellán R, Leung BK, Balleine BW. Cognitive effects of thalamostriatal degeneration are ameliorated by normalizing striatal cholinergic activity. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eade8247. [PMID: 37352346 PMCID: PMC10289650 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade8247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The loss of neurons in parafascicular thalamus (Pf) and their inputs to dorsomedial striatum (DMS) in Lewy body disease (LBD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) have been linked to the effects of neuroinflammation. We found that, in rats, these inputs were necessary for both the function of striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs) and the flexible encoding of the action-outcome (AO) associations necessary for goal-directed action, producing a burst-pause pattern of CIN firing but only during the remapping elicited by a shift in AO contingency. Neuroinflammation in the Pf abolished these changes in CIN activity and goal-directed control after the shift in contingency. However, both effects were rescued by either the peripheral or the intra-DMS administration of selegiline, a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor that we found also enhances adenosine triphosphatase activity in CINs. These findings suggest a potential treatment for the cognitive deficits associated with neuroinflammation affecting the function of the Pf and related structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Becchi
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Billy Chieng
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Laura A. Bradfield
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Roberto Capellán
- School of Psychology, Department of Psychobiology, National University for Distance Learning, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatrice K. Leung
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bernard W. Balleine
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Capellán R, Moreno-Fernández M, Orihuel J, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Ex vivo 1H-MRS brain metabolic profiling in a two-hit model of neurodevelopmental disorders: Prenatal immune activation and peripubertal stress. Schizophr Res 2022; 243:232-240. [PMID: 31787482 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.007] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal infections are environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, traumatic experiences during adolescence in individuals exposed to infections during gestation could increase the risk of schizophrenia. It is of the most crucial importance to discover potential markers of the disease in its early stages or before its onset, so that therapeutic strategies may be implemented. In the present study, we combined a proposed two-hit model of schizophrenia-related symptoms with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to discover potential biomarkers. To this end, we i.p. injected 100 μg/kg/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline on gestational days 15 and 16 to pregnant rats. Their male offspring were then subjected to five episodes of stress or handling on alternate days during postnatal days (PND) 28-38. Once the animals reached adulthood (PND70), we evaluated prepulse inhibition (PPI). At PND90, we performed an ex vivo 1H-MRS study in the cortex and striatum. While we did not detect alterations in PPI at the age tested, we found neurochemical disturbances induced by LPS, stress or (more interestingly) their interaction. LPS decreased glucose levels in the cortex and striatum and altered glutamate, glutamine and N-acetylaspartate levels. Glutamate and glutamine levels in the left (but not right) striatum were differentially affected by prenatal LPS exposure in a manner that depended on stress experiences. These results suggest that alterations in the glutamate cycle in the striatum could be used as early markers of developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Moreno-Fernández
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
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Orihuel J, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol During Adolescence Reprograms the Nucleus Accumbens Transcriptome, Affecting Reward Processing, Impulsivity, and Specific Aspects of Cocaine Addiction-Like Behavior in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:920-933. [PMID: 34436576 PMCID: PMC8598305 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab058] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis exposure during adolescence is associated with emotional and motivational alterations that may entail an enhanced risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In rodent models, exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence leads to increased self-administration of opiates and cocaine, however, the psychological and neural mechanisms and the sex-specificity of this phenomenon are largely unknown. METHODS We exposed male and female adolescent rats to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and studied at adulthood the effects of such treatment on psychological processes related to reward, such as Pavlovian conditioned approach, Pavlovian to instrumental transfer, habit formation and waiting impulsivity. In the light of these data and given the involvement of the nucleus accumbens in the processes examined, we performed an RNASeq transcriptomic study and assessed cocaine addiction-like behavior. RESULTS THC exposure increased goal-tracking (in males and females) and enhanced Pavlovian to instrumental transfer (especially in males) but did not affect habit formation. THC-exposed rats exhibited subtle, state-dependent changes in premature responding in the 2-CSRTT task. RNASeq data showed gene expression alterations in a marked sex-specific manner. While no effects were found on the acquisition of cocaine self-administration or punished drug-seeking, rats exposed to THC self-administered more cocaine under a progressive ratio schedule (males), had a higher rebound upon returning to continuous access to the drug (females) and showed reduced drug-seeking after 30 days of withdrawal (females). CONCLUSIONS Adolescent THC affects specific aspects of reward- (and cocaine-) guided behavior and the function of a key brain region mediating these effects, in a remarkable sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
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Orihuel J, Gómez-Rubio L, Valverde C, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Cocaine-induced Fos expression in the rat brain: Modulation by prior Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence and sex-specific effects. Brain Res 2021; 1764:147480. [PMID: 33861997 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that cannabis consumption during adolescence may be an initial step to cocaine use in adulthood. Indeed, previous preclinical data show that adolescent exposure to cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic) potentiates cocaine self-administration in rats. Here we aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the cellular activation patterns induced by cocaine as revealed by Fos imaging and how these patterns may change due to adolescent exposure to THC. Male and female Wistar rats were administered every other day THC (3 mg/kg i.p.) or vehicle from postnatal day 28-44. At adulthood (PND90) they were given an injection of cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.) or saline and sacrificed 90 min later. Cocaine-induced Fos activation was measured by immunohistochemistry as an index of cellular activation. We found that cocaine-induced activation in the motor cortex was stronger in THC-exposed rats. Moreover, there was significant sex-dependent interaction between cocaine and adolescent THC exposure in the dorsal hypothalamus, suggesting that cocaine induced a more robust cellular activation in THC-exposed females but not in THC-treated males. Other THC- and cocaine-induced effects were also evident. These results add to the previous literature suggesting that the behavioral, cellular, molecular, and brain-activating actions of cocaine are modulated by early experience with cannabinoids and provide additional knowledge that may explain the enhanced actions of cocaine in rats exposed to cannabinoids during their adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain; International Graduate School at UNED (Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, UNED), Spain
| | - Laura Gómez-Rubio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Valverde
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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Marcos A, Moreno M, Orihuel J, Ucha M, Mª de Paz A, Higuera-Matas A, Capellán R, Crego AL, Martínez-Larrañaga MR, Ambrosio E, Anadón A. The effects of combined intravenous cocaine and ethanol self-administration on the behavioral and amino acid profile of young adult rats. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227044. [PMID: 32203565 PMCID: PMC7089423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Under paradigms of combined intravenous cocaine and ethanol self-administration, the effects on behavior have been poorly explored. Numerous studies have found sex differences in amino acids profile and behavioral responses to each drug, yet few have focused on the interactions between cocaine and ethanol. The main objective of this work was to explore the acquisition and maintenance of intravenous self-administration behavior with a combination of cocaine and ethanol in male and female young adult rats. Likewise, the amino acids profile in blood plasma was quantified 48 hours after the last self-administration session. Male and female 52 days old Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: i) saline control, ii) cocaine (1 mg/kg bodyweight/injection) and iii) cocaine and ethanol (1 mg + 133 mg/kg bodyweight/ injection). After 24 self-administration sessions carried out on a fixed-ratio-1 schedule, with a limit of 15 doses per session, 14 plasma amino acids were quantified by mean Capillary Electrophoresis technique. The curve of cocaine and ethanol combined self-administration was similar to that associated with cocaine administration alone, with females acquiring self-administration criterion before males. The self-administration of cocaine and ethanol altered the plasma concentration and relative ratios of the amino acid L-Tyrosine. In our intravenous self-administration model, females appeared more vulnerable to acquire abusive consumption of the cocaine and ethanol combination, which altered plasma L-Tyrosine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Marcos
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Moreno
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Orihuel
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Mª de Paz
- Departamento de Psicología Básica I, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio L. Crego
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Rosa Martínez-Larrañaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Arturo Anadón
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Santos-Toscano R, Borcel É, Ucha M, Orihuel J, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Unaltered cocaine self-administration in the prenatal LPS rat model of schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 69:38-48. [PMID: 27089985 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although cocaine abuse is up to three times more frequent among schizophrenic patients, it remains unclear why this should be the case and whether sex influences this relationship. Using a maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia, we tested whether animals at higher risk of developing a schizophrenia-like state are more prone to acquire cocaine self-administration behavior, and whether they show enhanced sensitivity to the reinforcing actions of cocaine or if they are resistant to extinction. Pregnant rats were injected with lipopolysaccharide on gestational day 15 and 16, and the offspring (both male and female) were tested in working memory (T-maze), social interaction and sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response) paradigms. After performing these tests, the rats were subjected to cocaine self-administration regimes (0.5mg/kg), assessing their dose-response and extinction. Male rats born to dams administered lipopolysaccharide showed impaired working memory but no alterations to their social interactions, and both male and female rats showed prepulse inhibition deficits. Moreover, similar patterns of cocaine self-administration acquisition, responsiveness to dose shifts and extinction curves were observed in both control and experimental rats. These results suggest that the higher prevalence of cocaine abuse among schizophrenic individuals is not due to a biological vulnerability directly associated to the disease and that other factors (social, educational, economic, familial, etc.) should be considered given the multifactorial nature of this illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Santos-Toscano
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Érika Borcel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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