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Lai Y, Loy F, Isola M, Noli R, Rinaldi A, Lobina C, Vargiu R, Cesare Marincola F, Isola R. Male and Female Mitochondria Respond Differently after Exercising in Acute Hypoxia. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3149. [PMID: 38137370 PMCID: PMC10740434 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123149] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of hypoxic devices among athletes who train in normobaric hypoxia has become increasingly popular; however, the acute effects on heart and brain metabolism are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the mitochondrial bioenergetics in trained male and female Wistar rats after acute hypoxia training. The experimental plan included exercising for 30 min on a treadmill in a Plexiglas cage connected to a hypoxic generator set at 12.5% O2 or in normoxia. After the exercise, the rats were sacrificed, and their mitochondria were isolated from their brains and hearts. The bioenergetics for each complex of the electron transport chain was tested using a Clark-type electrode. The results showed that following hypoxia training, females experienced impaired oxidative phosphorylation through complex II in heart subsarcolemmal mitochondria, while males had an altered ADP/O in heart interfibrillar mitochondria, without any change in oxidative capacity. No differences from controls were evident in the brain, but an increased electron transport system efficiency was observed with complex I and IV substrates in males. Therefore, the study's findings suggest that hypoxia training affects the heart mitochondria of females more than males. This raises a cautionary flag for female athletes who use hypoxic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Lai
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Francesco Loy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Michela Isola
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Roberta Noli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Division of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Romina Vargiu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Flaminia Cesare Marincola
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Raffaella Isola
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
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Maccioni P, Kaczanowska K, Lobina C, Regonini Somenzi L, Bassareo V, Gessa GL, Lawrence HR, McDonald P, Colombo G. Delving into the reducing effects of the GABA B positive allosteric modulator, KK-92A, on alcohol-related behaviors in rats. Alcohol 2023; 112:61-70. [PMID: 37495087 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of the positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the GABAB receptor (GABAB PAM), KK-92A, to suppress operant alcohol self-administration and reinstatement of alcohol seeking in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. The present study was designed to scrutinize the suppressing effects of KK-92A on alcohol-related behaviors; to this end, four separate experiments were conducted to address just as many new research questions, some of which bear translational value. Experiment 1 found that 7-day treatment with KK-92A (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) effectively reduced alcohol intake in male sP rats exposed to the home-cage 2-bottle "alcohol (10% v/v) vs. water" choice regimen with 1 hour/day limited access, extending to excessive alcohol drinking the ability of KK-92A to suppress operant alcohol self-administration. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the ability of KK-92A to reduce lever-responding for alcohol was maintained also after acute, intragastric treatment (0, 20, and 40 mg/kg) in female sP rats trained to lever-respond for 15% (v/v) alcohol under the fixed ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement. In Experiment 3, acutely administered KK-92A (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) dampened alcohol-seeking behavior in female sP rats exposed to a single session under the extinction responding schedule. Experiment 4 used a taste reactivity test to demonstrate that acute treatment with KK-92A (0 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) did not alter either hedonic or aversive reactions to a 15% (v/v) alcohol solution in male sP rats, ruling out that KK-92A-induced reduction of alcohol drinking and self-administration could be due to alterations in alcohol palatability. Together, these results enhance the behavioral pharmacological profile of KK-92A and further strengthen the notion that GABAB PAMs may represent a novel class of ligands with therapeutic potential for treating alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | | | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Laura Regonini Somenzi
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Valentina Bassareo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | | | - Patricia McDonald
- Department of Cancer Physiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, United States
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy.
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Lobina C, Maccioni P, Gessa GL, Colombo G. Exposure to an enriched environment exerts anxiolytic effects in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114557. [PMID: 37390968 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114557] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to an enriched environment (EE) has been reported to generate multiple beneficial effects in rodents, including - among the many - amelioration of anxiety-related behaviors. The present study investigated whether living in an EE produced anxiolytic effects also in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. The relevance of this research question relied on two factors: sP rats displayed an inherent, high anxiety-like state under different experimental conditions; exposure to EE reduced operant, oral alcohol self-administration in sP rats. Starting from weaning, male sP rats were kept under 3 different housing conditions: impoverished environment (IE; single housing with no environmental enrichment); standard environment (SE; 3 rats/cage with no environmental enrichment); EE (6 rats/cage with various elements of environmental enrichment). At the age of approximately 80 days, rats were exposed to an elevated plus maze test for assessment of anxiety-related behaviors. Compared to IE and SE rats, EE rats displayed higher basal levels of exploratory activity (i.e., increased number of entries into closed arms). Compared to IE and SE rats, EE rats also displayed a less "anxious" profile, as suggested by the increase in percent number of entries into open arms (OAs), percent time spent in OAs, number of head dips, and number of end-arm explorations in OAs. These data extend the protective (anxiolytic) effects of EE to a proposed animal model of comorbid alcohol use disorder and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy.
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Lorrai I, Shankula C, Marquez Gaytan J, Maccioni R, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Brizzi A, Mugnaini C, Gessa GL, Sanna PP, Corelli F, Colombo G. Development of tolerance upon repeated administration with the GABA B receptor positive allosteric modulator, COR659, on alcohol drinking in rodents. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2022; 48:662-672. [PMID: 36095322 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2116713] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Background: Recent work has demonstrated that acute administration of the novel positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, COR659, reduces several alcohol-related behaviors in rodents.Objective: To assess whether COR659 continues to lessen alcohol intake after repeated administration, a fundamental feature of drugs with therapeutic potential.Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 40) were exposed to daily 2-hour drinking sessions (20% (v/v) alcohol) under the 1-bottle "drinking in the dark" protocol and male Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats (n = 40) were exposed to daily 1-hour drinking sessions under the 2-bottle "alcohol (10%, v/v) vs water" choice regimen. COR659 (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg in the mouse experiment; 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg in the rat experiment) was administered intraperitoneally before 7 consecutive drinking sessions.Results: Alcohol intake in vehicle-treated mice and rats averaged 2.5-3.0 and 1.5-1.6 g/kg/session, respectively, indicative of high basal levels. In both experiments, treatment with COR659 resulted in an initial, dose-related suppression of alcohol intake (up to 70-80% compared to vehicle treatment; P < .0005 and P < .0001 in mouse and rat experiments, respectively). The magnitude of the reducing effect of COR659 on alcohol drinking diminished progressively, until vanishing over the subsequent 2-4 drinking sessions.Conclusion: COR659 effectively reduced alcohol intake in two different rodent models of excessive alcohol drinking. However, tolerance to the anti-alcohol effects of COR659 developed rapidly. If theoretically transposed to humans, these data would represent a possible limitation to the clinical use of COR659.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Lorrai
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chase Shankula
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Marquez Gaytan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Riccardo Maccioni
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonella Brizzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia Mugnaini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Pietro Paolo Sanna
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Federico Corelli
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, Italy
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Lobina C, Lee JH, Pel P, Chin YW, Kwon HC, Colombo G. Analgesic effects of saikosaponin A in a rat model of chronic inflammatory pain. Nat Prod Res 2022:1-5. [PMID: 36121752 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2124985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Saikosaponin A (SSA) is the main active ingredient of roots of the East Asian medicinal plant, Bupleurum falcatum L. The present study was aimed at delving into the analgesic properties of SSA in a model of chronic inflammatory pain. To this end, rats were initially treated intraplantarly with complete Freund's adjuvant for induction of hyperalgesia. Twenty-four hours later, rats were acutely treated with SSA (0, 1 and 2 mg/kg, i.p.) and exposed to the Von Frey monofilament test or Randall-Selitto paw pressure test for assessment of mechanical hyperalgesia. Treatment with 2 mg/kg SSA had analgesic effects: the nocifensive reaction (paw withdrawal) occurred later and required application of the nociceptive stimulus at a stronger pressure. The analgesic effects of SSA were of magnitude comparable to that of the effects exerted by the reference compound, acetyl salicylic acid (100 mg/kg, i.p.). The well-described anti-inflammatory properties of SSA likely underlie its analgesic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Jung Hwan Lee
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung Institute of Natural Products, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Pisey Pel
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Won Chin
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak Cheol Kwon
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung Institute of Natural Products, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
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Maccioni P, Bratzu J, Lobina C, Acciaro C, Corrias G, Capra A, Carai MAM, Agabio R, Muntoni AL, Gessa GL, Colombo G. Exposure to an enriched environment reduces alcohol self-administration in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Physiol Behav 2022; 249:113771. [PMID: 35247441 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Living in an enriched environment (EE) produces a notable impact on several rodent behaviors, including those motivated by drugs of abuse. This picture is somewhat less clear when referring to alcohol-motivated behaviors. With the intent of contributing to this research field with data from one of the few rat lines selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption, the present study investigated the effect of EE on operant oral alcohol self-administration in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Starting from Postnatal Day (PND) 21, male sP rats were kept under 3 different housing conditions: impoverished environment (IE; single housing in shoebox-like cages with no environmental enrichment); standard environment (SE; small colony cages with 3 rats and no environmental enrichment); EE (large colony cages with 6 rats and multiple elements of environmental enrichment, including 2 floors, ladders, maze, running wheels, and shelter). From PND 60, rats were exposed to different phases of shaping and training of alcohol self-administration. IE, SE, and EE rats were then compared under (i) fixed ratio (FR) 4 (FR4) schedule of alcohol reinforcement for 20 daily sessions and (ii) progressive ratio (PR) schedule of alcohol reinforcement in a final single session. Acquisition of the lever-responding task (shaping) was slower in EE than IE and SE rats, as the likely consequence of a "devaluation" of the novel stimuli provided by the operant chamber in comparison to those to which EE rats were continuously exposed in their homecage or an alteration, induced by EE, of the rat "emotionality" state when facing the novel environment represented by the operant chamber. Training of alcohol self-administration was slower in EE than IE rats, with SE rats displaying intermediate values. A similar ranking order (IE>SE>EE) was also observed in number of lever-responses for alcohol, amount of self-administered alcohol, and breakpoint for alcohol under FR4 and PR schedules of reinforcement. These data suggest that living in a complex environment reduced the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol in sP rats. These results are interpreted in terms of the reinforcing and motivational properties of the main components of EE (i.e., social interactions, physical activities, exploration, novelty) substituting, at least partially, for those of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Jessica Bratzu
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Carla Acciaro
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Gianluigi Corrias
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Alessandro Capra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Cagliari Pharmacological Research, I-09127 Cagliari (CA), Italy
| | - Roberta Agabio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy.
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Lobina C, Sau R, Fara F, Maccioni P, Carai MAM, Colombo G. Analgesic properties of a food grade lecithin delivery system of Zingiber officinale and Acmella oleracea standardized extracts in rats. Nat Prod Res 2021; 35:3078-3082. [PMID: 31651194 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2019.1680667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether (i) the 5:1 combination of standardized extracts of Zingiber officinale and Acmella oleracea is endowed with analgesic effects and (ii) the phospholipid-based formulation of Zingiber officinale and Acmella oleracea extracts (ZAP) potentiated the analgesic effects of the plain extract combination (PEC). To this end, rats were exposed to acute pain (Tail Flick test) and chronic, inflammatory pain [Von Frey monofilament test and Randall-Selitto paw pressure test in rats treated intraplantarily with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)]. The plain combination of per se ineffective doses of the two extracts produced analgesic effects in healthy rats. ZAP was more potent and effective than the corresponding doses of PEC. ZAP also produced analgesic effects in CFA-treated rats. Studies are now warranted to assess whether the analgesic properties of ZAP may generalize to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Roberta Sau
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Federica Fara
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | | | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
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Lobina C, Maccioni P, Lorrai I, Zaru A, Collu M, Carai MAM, Brizzi A, Mugnaini C, Gessa GL, Corelli F, Colombo G. Suppressing effect of the novel positive allosteric modulator of the GABA B receptor, COR659, on locomotor hyperactivity induced by different drugs of abuse. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113045. [PMID: 33309750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
COR659 is a recently synthesized positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the GABAB receptor. Similarly to all GABAB PAMs tested to date, COR659 has been reported to suppress different alcohol-related behaviors in rodents. The present study was designed to assess whether the anti-addictive properties of COR659 extend to drugs of abuse other than alcohol. Specifically, it investigated the effect of COR659 on cocaine-, amphetamine-, nicotine-, and morphine-induced locomotor hyperactivity in mice. To this aim, independent groups of CD1 mice were acutely pretreated with COR659 (0, 10, and 20 mg/kg; i.p.), then acutely treated with cocaine (0 and 10 mg/kg, s.c.), amphetamine (0 and 5 mg/kg; s.c.), nicotine (0 and 0.05 mg/kg; s.c.), or morphine (0 and 20 mg/kg; s.c.), and finally exposed for 60 min to a photocell-equipped motility cage. When given alone, both doses of COR659 were ineffective on spontaneous locomotor activity. Pretreatment with COR659 reduced, or even suppressed, the increase in motility counts induced by cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, and morphine. Since locomotor hyperactivity is an attribute common to drugs of abuse, the results of the present study constitute the first line of evidence on the extension of the preclinical, anti-addictive profile of COR659 to cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, and morphine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Irene Lorrai
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zaru
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Maria Collu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Cagliari Pharmacological Research, Cagliari, CA, I-09127, Italy
| | - Antonella Brizzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Claudia Mugnaini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Federico Corelli
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy.
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9
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Bharatiya R, Bratzu J, Lobina C, Corda G, Cocco C, De Deurwaerdere P, Argiolas A, Melis MR, Sanna F. The pesticide fipronil injected into the substantia nigra of male rats decreases striatal dopamine content: A neurochemical, immunohistochemical and behavioral study. Behav Brain Res 2020; 384:112562. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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10
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Lobina C, Colombo G, Gessa GL, Carai MAM, Allegrini P, Morazzoni P, Riva A. Anxiolytic effect of an extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza roots in rats. J Chin Med Assoc 2018; 81:390-397. [PMID: 29287701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcma.2017.09.015] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preparations from roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza, a herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, have been reported to induce a series of central effects, including sedation. In the wake of this ethnopharmacological information, the present study was designed to assess the anxiolytic potential of an extract of S. miltiorrhiza roots. METHODS To this end, rats were acutely treated with S. miltiorrhiza extract (0, 50, and 100 mg/kg; i.g.) and exposed to the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) test. The effect of treatment with S. miltiorrhiza extract on Stress-Induced Hyperthermia (SIH; a physiological response to stressful events) was also evaluated. RESULTS Treatment with 100 mg/kg S. miltiorrhiza extract produced robust anxiolytic effects at the EPM test; specifically, it increased (a) percent of entries into open arms, (b) percent of time spent in open arms, (c) total number of head dips, (d) number of unprotected head dips, and (e) number of end-arm explorations in open arms, without any alteration in spontaneous locomotor activity. Treatment with 100 mg/kg S. miltiorrhiza extract also suppressed SIH response. The anxiolytic effects produced by 100 mg/kg S. miltiorrhiza extract were comparable to those exerted by acute treatment with 1.5 mg/kg (i.p.) of the reference compound, diazepam. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate the ability of an extract of S. miltiorrhiza roots to produce anxiolysis in two different rodent models of "anxiety".
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Cagliari Pharmacological Research s.r.l., Cagliari, CA, Italy
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Haass-Koffler CL, Goodyear K, Loche A, Long VM, Lobina C, Tran HH, Cacciaglia R, Swift RM, Colombo G, Leggio L. Administration of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 allosteric modulator GET 73 with alcohol: A translational study in rats and humans. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:163-173. [PMID: 29361897 PMCID: PMC7014573 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117746904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical work suggests that GET 73 (N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl]-4-methoxybutyramide), a novel metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 negative allosteric modulator, may represent a novel pharmacological treatment for alcohol use disorder. Two independent experiments evaluated the effect of acutely administered GET 73 (0, 30, and 100 mg/kg, intragastrically) on alcohol-induced hypolocomotion ( n=72) and sedation/hypnosis ( n=36) in rats. In healthy male volunteers ( n=14), an open-label, randomised, crossover study was conducted to compare adverse events and pharmacokinetic parameters, in two experiments in which 300 mg GET 73 was administered, with and without alcohol, once and thrice. In rats, when administered with alcohol-vehicle, 100 mg/kg, but not 30 mg/kg, GET 73 reduced spontaneous locomotor activity. When administered with alcohol, no dose of GET 73 altered either alcohol-induced hypolocomotion or sedation/hypnosis. In humans, both single and thrice 300 mg GET 73 administration were well tolerated, in the presence and absence of alcohol, with no differences in adverse events. There were no significant differences in relative bioavailability between administering 300 mg GET 73 in the presence or absence of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Haass-Koffler
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Corresponding author: Carolina L Haass-Koffler, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA;
| | - Kimberly Goodyear
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Victoria M Long
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Harrison H Tran
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Robert M Swift
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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12
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Agabio R, Sanna F, Lobina C, Monduzzi M, Nairi V, Cugia F, Mameli S, Pisanu GM, Gessa GL, Melis MR. Is 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin a Suitable Carrier for Central Administration of Δ 9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol? Preclinical Evidence. Drug Dev Res 2017; 78:411-419. [PMID: 28921601 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical Research Δ9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a hydrophobic compound that has a potent antinociceptive effect in animals after intrathecal (IT) or intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration. The lack of a suitable solvent precludes its IT administration in humans. 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) increases the water solubility of hydrophobic drugs and is approved for IT administration in humans. To investigate whether HPβCD might be a suitable carrier for ICV administration of THC in rats, two formulations containing THC complexed with HPβCD (30 and 135 μg of THC per animal) and vehicle were administered to Wistar rats. The antinociceptive effect (using the tail flick test), locomotor activity, and body temperature were evaluated. ICV injection of 135 μg of THC/HPβCD complex increased tail flick latency, reduced locomotor activity, and had a dual effect on body temperature. The 30 μg THC/HPβCD formulation only produced a hyperthermic effect. All animals appeared healthy, with no difference between the groups. These results were similar to those obtained in other preclinical studies in which THC was administered centrally using solvents that are unsuitable for IT administration in humans because of their toxicity. Our findings suggest that HPβCD may be a useful carrier for IT administration of THC in humans. Drug Dev Res 78 : 411-419, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Agabio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - F Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - C Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - M Monduzzi
- Department of Chemistral and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - V Nairi
- Department of Chemistral and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - F Cugia
- Department of Chemistral and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - S Mameli
- Pain Therapy Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera "Brotzu," ASL 8, Cagliari, Italy
| | - G M Pisanu
- Pain Therapy Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera "Brotzu," ASL 8, Cagliari, Italy
| | - G L Gessa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - M R Melis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Lorrai I, Acciaro C, Maccioni P, Gessa GL. Binge drinking and anxiety at the end of the nocturnal period in alcohol-preferring sP rats. Alcohol 2017; 63:27-32. [PMID: 28847379 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies suggested that exposure of Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats to daily drinking sessions of 1 h, during the dark phase of the light/dark cycle, with multiple alcohol concentrations, and unpredictable access to alcohol, resulted in exceptionally high intakes of alcohol when the drinking session occurred over the last hours of the dark phase. Additionally, higher levels of anxiety-related behaviors were observed at the 12th, rather than 1st, hour of the dark phase, suggesting that uncertainty of time of alcohol access and expectation of alcohol availability produced an emotional "distress". The present study was designed to provide pharmacological support to the hypothesis that high alcohol intake under this drinking procedure is secondary to exacerbation of the anxiety-like state of sP rats. To this end, sP rats were initially exposed to daily 1-h drinking sessions during the dark phase and with multiple alcohol concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%; v/v); time of alcohol exposure was changed each day and was unpredictable to rats. Rats were then treated acutely with non-sedative doses of diazepam (0, 1, 2, and 3 mg/kg; intraperitoneally [i.p.]) before two drinking sessions occurring at the 1st and 12th hour of the dark phase, respectively. Treatment with diazepam was ineffective at the 1st hour; conversely, it selectively reduced alcohol intake (up to 50% at the dose of 3 mg/kg) at the 12th hour. The preferential effectiveness of diazepam in reducing alcohol intake when the drinking session occurred at the 12th hour of the dark phase is consistent with the hypothesis that uncertainty of time of alcohol access and expectation of alcohol availability generated an emotional "distress" that rats counterbalanced with high alcohol drinking; the results of the present study are interpreted as the anxiolytic effects of diazepam substituting for those of alcohol, resulting in the observed reduction in alcohol intake.
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14
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Lorrai I, Maccioni P, Gessa GL. Exacerbation of the inherent “anxiety” state by unpredictability of alcohol access in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.02.264] [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: 10/19/2022]
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Porcu A, Lobina C, Giunta D, Solinas M, Mugnaini C, Castelli MP. In vitro and in vivo pharmacological characterization of SSD114, a novel GABAB positive allosteric modulator. Eur J Pharmacol 2016; 791:115-123. [PMID: 27578262 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABAB receptor have emerged as a novel approach to the pharmacological manipulation of the GABAB receptor, enhancing the effects of receptor agonists with few side effects. Here, we identified N-cyclohexyl-4-methoxy-6-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)pyrimidin-2-amine (SSD114) as a new compound with activity as a GABAB PAM in in vitro and in vivo assays. SSD114 potentiated GABA-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding to native GABAB receptors, whereas it had no effect when used alone. Its effect on GTPγS stimulation was suppressed when GABA-induced activation was blocked with CGP54626, a competitive antagonist of the GABAB receptor. SSD114 failed to potentiate WIN55,212,2-, morphine- and quinpirole-induced [35S]GTPγS binding to cortical and striatal membranes, respectively, indicating that it is a selective GABAB PAM. Increasing SSD114 fixed concentrations induced a leftward shift of the GABA concentration-response curve, enhancing the potency of GABA rather than its efficacy. SSD114 concentration-response curves in the presence of fixed concentrations of GABA (1, 10, and 20μM) revealed a potentiating effect on GABA-stimulated binding of [35S]GTPγS to rat cortical membranes, with EC50 values in the low micromolar range. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) experiments in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO)-cells expressing GABAB receptors showed that SSD114 potentiates the GABA inhibition of adenylyl-cyclase mediated by GABAB receptors. Our compound is also effective in vivo potentiating baclofen-induced sedation/hypnosis in mice, with no effect when tested alone. These findings indicate that SSD114, a molecule with a different chemical structure compared to known GABAB PAMs, is a novel GABAB PAM with potential usefulness in the GABAB-receptor research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Porcu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniela Giunta
- Biomolecular Chemistry Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Maurizio Solinas
- Biomolecular Chemistry Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Claudia Mugnaini
- Department of Biotechnology Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - M Paola Castelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Carai MAM, Lorrai I, Zaru A, Contini A, Mugnaini C, Corelli F, Gessa GL. Anxiety-like behaviors at the end of the nocturnal period in sP rats with a "history" of unpredictable, limited access to alcohol. Alcohol 2015; 49:707-12. [PMID: 26254964 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent research found that exposure of selectively bred, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats to multiple alcohol concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%, v/v), under the 4-bottle "alcohol vs. water" choice regimen, in daily 1-h drinking sessions with an unpredictable time schedule, promoted high intakes of alcohol (≥2 g/kg) when the drinking session occurred over the final hours of the dark phase of the light/dark cycle. The present study investigated whether these high intakes of alcohol (a) were associated with alterations in rats' emotional state (Experiment 1) and (b) were pharmacologically manipulable (Experiment 2). In both experiments, over a period of 12 days, sP rats were initially exposed daily to a 1-h drinking session during the dark phase; time of alcohol exposure was changed each day and was unpredictable to rats. The day after this 12-day drinking phase, rats were (a) exposed to the Social Interaction (SI) test at the 1st or 12th hour of the dark phase with no alcohol available (Experiment 1) or (b) treated with the positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, GS39783 (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, intragastrically [i.g.]), and exposed to a drinking session at the 12th hour of the dark phase (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, rats exposed to the SI test during the 12th hour spent approximately 35% less time in "social" behaviors than rats exposed to the SI test during the 1st hour. No difference in "social" behaviors was observed between alcohol-naive sP rats exposed to the SI test at the 1st and 12th hour. In Experiment 2, all doses of GS39783 selectively reduced alcohol intake. These results suggest that (a) expectation of alcohol availability likely exacerbated the anxiety-like state of sP rats and (b) the GABAB receptor is part of the neural substrate underlying these exceptionally high intakes of alcohol in sP rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Irene Lorrai
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zaru
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Andrea Contini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 23, I-07100 Sassari, SS, Italy
| | - Claudia Mugnaini
- Department of Biotechnologies, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Federico Corelli
- Department of Biotechnologies, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
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Colombo G, Maccioni P, Lobina C, Lorrai I, Acciaro C, Loi B, Zaru A, Contini A, Carai MAM, Gessa GL. SY17AN INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO CHARACTERIZE NEW MODELS OF ALCOHOL ADDICTION IN RODENTS AND NOVEL THERAPIES FOR AUDSY17-1BINGE-LIKE DRINKING IN SARDINIAN ALCOHOL-PREFERRING RATS. Alcohol Alcohol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agv076.70] [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: 11/14/2022] Open
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18
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Coluccia E, Deidda F, Cannas R, Lobina C, Cuccu D, Deiana AM, Salvadori S. Comparative cytogenetics of six Indo-Pacific moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) by chromosomal banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization. J Fish Biol 2015; 87:634-645. [PMID: 26242690 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A comparative cytogenetic analysis, using both conventional staining techniques and fluorescence in situ hybridization, of six Indo-Pacific moray eels from three different genera (Gymnothorax fimbriatus, Gymnothorax flavimarginatus, Gymnothorax javanicus, Gymnothorax undulatus, Echidna nebulosa and Gymnomuraena zebra), was carried out to investigate the chromosomal differentiation in the family Muraenidae. Four species displayed a diploid chromosome number 2n = 42, which is common among the Muraenidae. Two other species, G. javanicus and G. flavimarginatus, were characterized by different chromosome numbers (2n = 40 and 2n = 36). For most species, a large amount of constitutive heterochromatin was detected in the chromosomes, with species-specific C-banding patterns that enabled pairing of the homologous chromosomes. In all species, the major ribosomal genes were localized in the guanine-cytosine-rich region of one chromosome pair, but in different chromosomal locations. The (TTAGGG)n telomeric sequences were mapped onto chromosomal ends in all muraenid species studied. The comparison of the results derived from this study with those available in the literature confirms a substantial conservation of the diploid chromosome number in the Muraenidae and supports the hypothesis that rearrangements have occurred that have diversified their karyotypes. Furthermore, the finding of two species with different diploid chromosome numbers suggests that additional chromosomal rearrangements, such as Robertsonian fusions, have occurred in the karyotype evolution of the Muraenidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Coluccia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - F Deidda
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - R Cannas
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - C Lobina
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - D Cuccu
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - A M Deiana
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - S Salvadori
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, sezione Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
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Colombo G, Maccioni P, Vargiolu D, Loi B, Lobina C, Zaru A, Carai MAM, Gessa GL. The dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor, nepicastat, reduces different alcohol-related behaviors in rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2345-53. [PMID: 25257286 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent experimental data indicate that treatment with the selective dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor, nepicastat, suppressed different reward-related behaviors, including self-administration of chocolate and reinstatement of cocaine and chocolate seeking, in rats. This study was designed to extend to different alcohol-related behaviors the investigation on the "anti-addictive" properties of nepicastat. METHODS Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption, were exposed to different procedures of alcohol drinking and self-administration. RESULTS Repeated treatment with nepicastat (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.], once daily for 10 consecutive days) produced a stable and dose-related reduction in daily alcohol intake in sP rats exposed to the homecage 2-bottle "alcohol (10% v/v) versus water" choice regimen with unlimited access. Acute treatment with nepicastat (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) completely suppressed the "alcohol deprivation effect" (i.e., the temporary increase in alcohol intake occurring after a period of abstinence; model of alcohol relapse episodes) in sP rats exposed to the 2-bottle choice regimen. Acute treatment with nepicastat (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose dependently and selectively reduced oral alcohol self-administration in sP rats trained to lever respond for alcohol (15% v/v) on a fixed ratio 4 schedule of reinforcement. Finally, combination of nepicastat (0, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) and alcohol (2 g/kg, intragastrically) did not alter spontaneous locomotor activity in sP rats. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data extend to alcohol the capacity of nepicastat to suppress different behaviors motivated by natural stimuli and drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Colombo
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato (CA), Italy
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Lobina C, Carai MAM, Loi B, Gessa GL, Riva A, Cabri W, Petrangolini G, Morazzoni P, Colombo G. Protective effect of Panax ginseng in cisplatin-induced cachexia in rats. Future Oncol 2015; 10:1203-14. [PMID: 24947261 DOI: 10.2217/fon.13.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM This study investigated the protective effect of a standardized extract of Panax ginseng on multiple cisplatin-induced 'sickness behaviors' (model of cancer-induced cachexia) in rats. MATERIALS & METHODS Cisplatin was administered twice weekly (1-2 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) for 5 consecutive weeks. Panax ginseng extract (0, 25 and 50 mg/kg, intragastric) was administered daily over the 5-week period of cisplatin exposure. Malaise, bodyweight and temperature, pain sensitivity, and endurance running were recorded at baseline and at 5 weekly intervals. RESULTS Treatment with cisplatin produced severe signs of malaise, marked loss of bodyweight, hypothermia, hyperalgesia and reduction in running time. Treatment with Panax ginseng extract completely prevented all cisplatin-induced alterations. CONCLUSION These data indicate that treatment with Panax ginseng extract exerted a protective effect in a rat model of cachexia and suggest that Panax ginseng extract may be a therapeutic promising tool for supportive care in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Giancarlo Colombo Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500 I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
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21
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Colombo G, Maccioni P, Acciaro C, Lobina C, Loi B, Zaru A, Carai MAM, Gessa GL. Binge drinking in alcohol-preferring sP rats at the end of the nocturnal period. Alcohol 2014; 48:301-11. [PMID: 24680256 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats have been selectively bred for high alcohol preference and consumption using the standard 2-bottle "alcohol (10%, v/v) vs. water" choice regimen with unlimited access; under this regimen, sP rats daily consume 6-7 g/kg alcohol. The present study assessed a new paradigm of alcohol intake in which sP rats were exposed to the 4-bottle "alcohol (10%, 20%, and 30%, v/v) vs. water" choice regimen during one of the 12 h of the dark phase of the daily light/dark cycle; the time of alcohol exposure was changed daily in a semi-random order and was unpredictable to rats. Alcohol intake was highly positively correlated with the time of the drinking session and averaged approximately 2 g/kg when the drinking session occurred during the 12th hour of the dark phase. Alcohol drinking during the 12th hour of the dark phase resulted in (a) blood alcohol levels averaging approximately 100 mg% and (b) severe signs of alcohol intoxication (e.g., impaired performance at a Rota-Rod task). The results of a series of additional experiments indicate that (a) both singular aspects of this paradigm (i.e., unpredictability of alcohol exposure and concurrent availability of multiple alcohol concentrations) contributed to this high alcohol intake, (b) alcohol intake followed a circadian rhythm, as it decreased progressively over the first 3 h of the light phase and then maintained constant levels until the beginning of the dark phase, and (c) sensitivity to time schedule was specific to alcohol, as it did not generalize to a highly palatable chocolate-flavored beverage. These results demonstrate that unpredictable, limited access to multiple alcohol concentrations may result in exceptionally high intakes of alcohol in sP rats, modeling - to some extent - human binge drinking. A progressively increasing emotional "distress" associated to rats' expectation of alcohol might be the neurobehavioral basis of this drinking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy.
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Carla Acciaro
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Barbara Loi
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Alessandro Zaru
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, S.S. 554, km. 4,500, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
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Pietrzykowski A, Mead E, Wang Y, Thekkumthala A, Hot A, Tejeda L, Collins M, Tajuddin N, Moon KH, Neafsey E, Nixon K, Colombo G, Maccioni P, Lobina C, Loi B, Acciaro C, Zaru A, Carai M, Gessa GL, Klintsova A. O1 * FREE ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 1: BASIC NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ALCOHOL ADDICTION. Alcohol Alcohol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agt095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Razvodovsky Y, Borodinsky A, Pascual-Mora M, Pla A, Renau-Piqueras J, Guerri C, Haass-Koffler C, Kenna G, Henry A, Bartlett S, Dudek M, Abo-Ramadan U, Hyytia P, Maccioni P, Gessa GL, Thomas A, Malherbe P, Mugnaini C, Corelli F, Colombo G, Maccioni P, Vargiolu D, Loi B, Lobina C, Zaru A, Carai M, Gessa GL, Colombo G, Maccioni P, Vargiolu D, Carai M, Gessa GL, Riva A, Bombardelli E, Morazzoni P, Colombo G, Osna N, Kharbanda K, McVicker B, Casey C, Mercer D, Naassila M, Legastelois R, Alaux-Cantin S, Houchi H, Botia B, Pronko PS, Khomich TI, Satanovskaya VI, Karaedova LM, Borodinsky AN, Lis RE, Feltmann K, Steensland P, Ledesma JC, Bali P, Bali P, Ledesma JC, Gonzalez C, Bali P, Ledesma JC, Aragon C, Etelalahti T, Eriksson P, Todkar A, Granholm L, Comasco E, Oreland L, Hodgins S, Nilsson K, Nylander I, Phedina K, Zimatkin S, Smutek M, Parkitna JR, Przewlocki R, Janeczek P, Van Steenwyk G, Lewohl J, Napper R, Hopping M, Stragier E, Massart R, Hamon M, Lanfumey L. BASIC RESEARCH. Alcohol Alcohol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agt113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Ferraro L, Loche A, Beggiato S, Tomasini M, Antonelli T, Colombo G, Lobina C, Carai M, Porcu A, Castelli M, Clerici F, Borelli A, Cacciaglia R, Tanganelli S. The New Compound GET73, N-[(4-trifluoromethyl)benzyl]4-methoxybutyramide, Regulates Hippocampal Aminoacidergic Transmission Possibly Via an Allosteric Modulation of mGlu5 Receptor. Behavioural Evidence of its “Anti-Alcohol” and Anxiolytic Properties. Curr Med Chem 2013; 20:3339-57. [DOI: 10.2174/09298673113209990167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Mugnaini C, Pedani V, Casu A, Lobina C, Casti A, Maccioni P, Porcu A, Giunta D, Lamponi S, Solinas M, Dragoni S, Valoti M, Colombo G, Castelli MP, Gessa GL, Corelli F. Synthesis and pharmacological characterization of 2-(acylamino)thiophene derivatives as metabolically stable, orally effective, positive allosteric modulators of the GABAB receptor. J Med Chem 2013; 56:3620-35. [PMID: 23544432 DOI: 10.1021/jm400144w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [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: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Two recently reported hit compounds, COR627 and COR628, underpinned the development of a series of 2-(acylamino)thiophene derivatives. Some of these compounds displayed significant activity in vitro as positive allosteric modulators of the GABAB receptor by potentiating GTPγS stimulation induced by GABA at 2.5 and 25 μM while failing to exhibit intrinsic agonist activity. Compounds were also found to be effective in vivo, potentiating baclofen-induced sedation/hypnosis in DBA mice when administered either intraperitoneally or intragastrically. Although displaying a lower potency in vitro than the reference compound GS39783, the new compounds 6, 10, and 11 exhibited a higher efficacy in vivo: combination of these compounds with a per se nonsedative dose of baclofen resulted in shorter onset and longer duration of the loss of righting reflex in mice. Test compounds showed cytotoxic effects at concentrations comparable to or higher than those of GS39783 or BHF177.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mugnaini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro, Siena, Italy
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Loi B, Maccioni P, Lobina C, Carai MA, Gessa GL, Thomas AW, Malherbe P, Colombo G. Reduction of alcohol intake by the positive allosteric modulator of the GABA(B) receptor, rac-BHFF, in alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol 2013; 47:69-73. [PMID: 23218664 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that treatment with the positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the GABA(B) receptor (GABA(B) PAM), rac-BHFF, suppressed lever-responding for alcohol and amount of self-administered alcohol in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. The present study was designed to extend the investigation on the anti-alcohol effects of rac-BHFF to alcohol drinking behavior. To this end, sP rats were exposed to the homecage, 2-bottle "alcohol (10%, v/v) vs water" choice regimen, with unlimited access for 24 h/day. rac-BHFF was administered once daily and for 7 consecutive days at the doses of 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg (i.g.). Treatment with rac-BHFF resulted in an immediate, stable, and dose-related reduction in daily alcohol intake; the overall magnitude of reduction in alcohol intake averaged approximately 25%, 40%, and 65% in 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg rac-BHFF-treated rat groups, respectively. An increase in daily water intake fully compensated the reduction in alcohol intake, so that daily total fluid intake was unaffected by treatment with rac-BHFF. Daily food intake tended to be reduced only by the highest dose of rac-BHFF. These results complement closely with previous data indicating that (a) rac-BHFF suppressed operant, oral alcohol self-administration in sP rats and (b) the prototypic GABA(B) PAMs, CGP7930 and GS39783, reduced alcohol drinking in sP rats. However, while the reducing effect of CGP7930 and GS39783 on the daily alcohol intake tended to vanish after the first 2-3 days of treatment, the reducing effect of rac-BHFF on daily alcohol intake remained unchanged over the entire 7-day treatment period. These data strengthen the hypothesis that GABA(B) PAMs may represent a step forward in the search for GABA(B) receptor ligands with therapeutic potential for alcoholism.
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Maccioni P, Zaru A, Loi B, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Gessa GL, Capra A, Mugnaini C, Pasquini S, Corelli F, Hyytiä P, Lumeng L, Colombo G. Comparison of the effect of the GABAΒ receptor agonist, baclofen, and the positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, GS39783, on alcohol self-administration in 3 different lines of alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 36:1748-66. [PMID: 22486245 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01782.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 02/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Administration of the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen, and positive allosteric modulator, GS39783, has been repeatedly reported to suppress multiple alcohol-related behaviors, including operant oral alcohol self-administration, in rats. This study was designed to compare the effect of baclofen and GS39783 on alcohol self-administration in 3 lines of selectively bred, alcohol-preferring rats: Indiana alcohol-preferring (P), Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP), and Alko Alcohol (AA). METHODS Rats of each line were initially trained to respond on a lever, on a fixed ratio (FR) 4 (FR4) schedule of reinforcement, to orally self-administer alcohol (15%, v/v) in daily 30-minute sessions. Once responding reached stable levels, rats were exposed to a sequence of experiments testing baclofen (0, 1, 1.7, and 3 mg/kg; i.p.) and GS39783 (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg; i.g.) on FR4 and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. Finally, to assess the specificity of baclofen and GS39783 action, rats were slightly food-deprived and trained to lever-respond for food pellets. RESULTS The rank of order of the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol was P>sP>AA rats. Under both FR and PR schedules of reinforcement, the rank of order of potency and efficacy of baclofen and GS39783 in suppressing alcohol self-administration was P>sP>AA rats. Only the highest dose of baclofen reduced lever-responding for food pellets; this effect was common to all 3 rat lines. Conversely, no dose of GS39783 altered lever-responding for food in any rat line. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that: (i) the strength of the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol differ among P, sP, and AA rats; (ii) the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol in P, sP, and AA rats are differentially sensitive to treatment with baclofen and GS39783; (iii) the heterogeneity in sensitivity to baclofen and GS39783 of alcohol self-administration in P, sP, and AA rats may resemble the differential effectiveness of pharmacotherapies among the different typologies of human alcoholics; and (iv) the GABA(B) receptor is part of the neural substrate mediating the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Maccioni
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, Italy
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Loche A, Simonetti F, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Colombo G, Castelli MP, Barone D, Cacciaglia R. Anti-Alcohol and Anxiolytic Properties of a New Chemical Entity, GET73. Front Psychiatry 2012; 3:8. [PMID: 22347868 PMCID: PMC3278888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
N-[(4-trifluoromethyl)benzyl]4-methoxybutyramide (GET73) is a newly synthesized compound structurally related to the clinically used, alcohol-substituting agent, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). The present study was designed to assess whether GET73 may share with GHB the capacity to reduce alcohol intake in rats. Additionally, the effect of treatment with GET73 on anxiety-related behaviors and cognitive tasks in rats was investigated. A series of in vitro binding assays investigated the capacity of GET73 to bind to the GHB binding site and multiple other receptors. GET73 (10(-9)-10(-3) M) failed to inhibit [(3)H]GHB binding at both high- and low-affinity GHB recognition sites in rat cortical membranes. GET73 displayed minimal, if any, binding at dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate receptors in membranes from different rat brain areas. Acute treatment with low-to-moderate, non-sedative doses of GET73 (5-50 mg/kg, i.g. or i.p.) (a) reduced alcohol intake and suppressed "alcohol deprivation effect" (a model of alcohol relapse) in selectively bred, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, (b) exerted anxiolytic effects in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and sP rats exposed to the Elevated Plus Maze test, and (c) tended to induce promnestic effects in SD rats exposed to a modified water version of the Hebb-Williams maze test. Although the mechanism of GET73 action is currently unknown, the results of the present study suggest that GET73 has a multifaceted pharmacological profile, including the capacity to reduce alcohol drinking and anxiety-related behaviors in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carla Lobina
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of ItalyCagliari, Italy
| | - Mauro A. M. Carai
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of ItalyCagliari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of ItalyCagliari, Italy
| | - M. Paola Castelli
- “Bernard B. Brodie” Department of Neuroscience, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | - Domenico Barone
- Istituto di Ricerche Biomediche “A. Marxer” RBM spaColleretto Giacosa, Italy
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Castelli MP, Casu A, Casti P, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Colombo G, Solinas M, Giunta D, Mugnaini C, Pasquini S, Tafi A, Brogi S, Gessa GL, Corelli F. Characterization of COR627 and COR628, two novel positive allosteric modulators of the GABA(B) receptor. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2011; 340:529-38. [PMID: 22129594 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.111.186460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential efficacy of GABA(B) receptor agonists in the treatment of pain, drug addiction, epilepsy, cognitive dysfunctions, and anxiety disorders is supported by extensive preclinical and clinical evidence. However, the numerous side effects produced by the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen considerably limit the therapeutic use of this compound. The identification of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABA(B) receptor may constitute a novel approach in the pharmacological manipulation of the GABA(B) receptor, leading to fewer side effects. The present study reports the identification of two novel compounds, methyl 2-(1-adamantanecarboxamido)-4-ethyl-5-methylthiophene-3-carboxylate (COR627) and methyl 2-(cyclohexanecarboxamido)-4-ethyl-5-methylthiophene-3-carboxylate (COR628), which act as GABA(B) PAMs in 1) rat cortical membranes and 2) in vivo assay. Both compounds potentiated GABA- and baclofen-stimulated guanosine 5'-O-(3-[(35)S]thio)-triphosphate binding to native GABA(B) receptors, while producing no effect when given alone. GABA concentration-response curves in the presence of fixed concentrations of COR627 and COR628 revealed an increase of potency of GABA rather than its maximal efficacy. In radioligand binding experiments [displacement of the GABA(B) receptor antagonist, 3-N-[1-((S)-3,4dichlorophenyl)-ethylaminol]-2-(S)hydroxypropyl cyclo-hexylmethyl phosphinic acid ([(3)H]CGP54626)], both COR627 and COR628 increased the affinity of high- and low-affinity binding sites for GABA, producing no effect when administered alone up to a concentration of 1 mM. In vivo experiments indicated that pretreatment with per se ineffective doses of COR627 and COR628 potentiated the sedative/hypnotic effect of baclofen. In conclusion, COR627 and COR628 may represent two additional tools for use in investigating the roles and functions of positive allosteric modulatory binding sites of the GABA(B) receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Paola Castelli
- Department of Neuroscience Bernard B. Brodie, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
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Maccioni P, Zaru A, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Gessa G, Hyytia P, Lumeng L, Colombo G, Maccioni P, Zaru A, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Gessa G, Hyytia P, Lumeng L, Colombo G, Zimatkin SM, Legastelois R, Naassila M, Botia B, Gonzalo P, Pecquet M, Bon C, Gonzalo S, Souquet J, Nakamura-Palacios EM, Zago-Gomes MP. FREE ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 3: ALCOHOL-BRAIN: FROM BASIC TO CLINICAL RESEARCH * O3.1 * COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF THE GABA(B) RECEPTOR AGONIST, BACLOFEN, ON ALCOHOL SELF-ADMINISTRATION IN THREE DIFFERENT LINES OF ALCOHOL-PREFERRING RATS. Alcohol Alcohol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agr095] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
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Wrzosek M, Lukaszkiewicz J, Jakubczyk A, Wrzosek M, Matsumoto H, Wojnar M, Lee J, Lee B, Choi M, Chai Y, Choi I, Janu L, Rackova S, Horacek J, Sanchez-Catalan M, Hipolito L, Marti-Prats L, Orrico A, Zornoza T, Granero L, Polache A, Marti-Prats L, Sanchez-Catalan M, Orrico A, Hipolito L, Zornoza T, Polache A, Granero L, Sanchez-Catalan M, Marti-Prats L, Hipolito L, Orrico A, Zornoza T, Granero L, Polache A, Milivojevic V, Kranzler HR, Covault J, Glahn A, Wenzel C, Wilhelm J, Frieling H, Heberlein A, Bleich S, Hillemacher T, Colombo G, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Gessa G, Cacciaglia R, Loche A, Kuthcer E, Egorov A, Filatova E, Kulagina K, Filatova EV, Kuther E, Kulagina K, Egorov AY, Loi B, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Carai MAM, Gessa G, Colombo G, Ledesma J, Aragon CMG, Quoilin C, Didone V, Quertemont E, Kemppainen H, Raivio N, Kiianmaa K, Pascual-Mora M, Couto BRD, Minarro J, Guerri C, Alfonso-Loeches S, Pascual-Mora M, Urena-Peralta J, Pascual-Lucas M, Morillo MJ, Renau-Piqueras J, Guerri C, Marin M, Esteban-Pretel G, Ponsoda X, Romero A, Ballestin R, Lopez C, Megias L, Timoneda J, Molowni A, Renau-Piqueras J, Escrig MA, Aragon CMG, Raivio N, Tiraboschi E, Saarikoski ST, Castren E, Kiianmaa K, Tarragon E, Balino P, Aragon CM, Camarini R, Soares SL, Carrara-Nascimento PF, Godinho RO, Scavone C, Tarragon E, Aragon CM, Balino P, Aragon CM, Kanuri G, Kreusch F, Quertement E, Closon C, Didone V, Masson S, Seutin V, Quertemont E, Durazzo TC, Fryer SL, Hutchison KE, Mon A, Meyerhoff DJ, Nummi KP, Salaspuro M, Vakevainen S, Ukai W, Shirasaka T, Hashimoto E, Yoshinaga T, Kaneta H, Kigawa M, Igarashi T, Watanabe K, Tateno M, Ishii T, Saito T, Lallemand F, Ward RJ, De Witte P, Verbank P, Fiore M, Ceccanti M, Ceccanti M. POSTER SESSION 1: BASIC RESEARCH AND INTERNAL MEDICINE * BASIC RESEARCH * P01 * ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FOK I VITAMIN D RECEPTOR (VDR) GENE POLYMORPHISM AND IMPULSIVENESS IN ALCOHOL-DEPENDENT PATIENTS. Alcohol Alcohol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agr117] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
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Lobina C, Carai MAM, Froestl W, Mugnaini C, Pasquini S, Corelli F, Gessa GL, Colombo G. Activation of the GABA(B) Receptor Prevents Nicotine-Induced Locomotor Stimulation in Mice. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:76. [PMID: 22232609 PMCID: PMC3248647 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrated that activation of the GABA(B) receptor, either by means of orthosteric agonists or positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), inhibited different nicotine-related behaviors, including intravenous self-administration and conditioned place preference, in rodents. The present study investigated whether the anti-nicotine effects of the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen, and GABA(B) PAMs, CGP7930, and GS39783, extend to nicotine stimulant effects. To this end, CD1 mice were initially treated with baclofen (0, 1.25, and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), CGP7930 (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg, i.g.), or GS39783 (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg, i.g.), then treated with nicotine (0 and 0.05 mg/kg, s.c.), and finally exposed to an automated apparatus for recording of locomotor activity. Pretreatment with doses of baclofen, CGP7930, or GS39783 that did not alter locomotor activity when given with nicotine vehicle fully prevented hyperlocomotion induced by 0.05 mg/kg nicotine. These data extend to nicotine stimulant effects the capacity of baclofen and GABA(B) PAMs to block the reinforcing, motivational, and rewarding properties of nicotine. These data strengthen the hypothesis that activation of the GABA(B) receptor may represent a potentially useful, anti-smoking therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari Monserrato, Italy
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Loi B, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Fantini N, Carai MAM, Gessa GL, Colombo G. Increase in alcohol intake, reduced flexibility of alcohol drinking, and evidence of signs of alcohol intoxication in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats exposed to intermittent access to 20% alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 34:2147-54. [PMID: 20860609 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01311.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study assessed in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats a procedure known to promote alcohol drinking and based on the intermittent (once every other day) access to 2 bottles containing alcohol (20%, v/v) and water, respectively (Wise, 1973). METHODS To this end, sP rats were exposed - under the 2-bottle choice regimen - to: (i) 10% (v/v) alcohol with continuous access (CA10%; i.e., the procedure under which sP rats had been selectively bred); (ii) 10% (v/v) alcohol with intermittent access (IA10%); (iii) 20% (v/v) alcohol with continuous access (CA20%); (iv) 20% (v/v) alcohol with intermittent access (IA20%; the "Wise" condition) (Experiment 1). Additional experiments assessed the influence of (i) adulteration with quinine of the alcohol solution (Experiment 2) and (ii) concurrent presentation of a saccharin solution (Experiment 3) on alcohol drinking under the CA10% and IA20% conditions. Finally, it was assessed whether alcohol drinking under the CA10% and IA20% conditions resulted in motor incoordination at the Rota-Rod task, as a possible sign of alcohol intoxication (Experiment 4). RESULTS Daily alcohol intake markedly escalated in rats exposed to the IA20% condition, averaging 9.0 g/kg (in comparison with the average intake of 6.5 g/kg in the CA10% rat group). CA20% and IA10% rats displayed intermediate values of daily alcohol intake between those of CA10% and IA20% rats. Alcohol intake was virtually abolished by addition of quinine or by concurrent presentation of the saccharin solution in CA10% rats; conversely, alcohol intake in IA20% rats was only partially affected by gustatory aversion or concurrent presentation of an alternative reinforcer. Finally, alcohol intake in IA20%, but not in CA10%, rats resulted in clear motor-incoordinating effects. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the "Wise" procedure is effective in inducing marked increases in alcohol intake in sP rats. These increases are associated with a reduced flexibility of alcohol drinking (suggesting the development of "behavioral" dependence) and produce signs of alcohol intoxication that are not detected when sP rats are exposed to the more conventional CA10% condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Loi
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Viale Diaz, Cagliari, Italy
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Fantini N, Cabras C, Lobina C, Colombo G, Gessa GL, Riva A, Donzelli F, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Carai MAM. Reducing effect of a Phaseolus vulgaris dry extract on food intake, body weight, and glycemia in rats. J Agric Food Chem 2009; 57:9316-9323. [PMID: 19731962 DOI: 10.1021/jf900711z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Extracts of kidney beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) are known to reduce food intake and glycemia in rodents and humans. This study evaluated the effect of a novel extract of P. vulgaris on food (regular food pellets, starch-enriched diet, and chocolate-flavored beverage) intake, body weight, and glycemia in rats. The effect of the combination of the colecistokinin (CCK) receptor antagonist, lorglumide, and P. vulgaris dry extract on food intake was also investigated. Administration of doses of P. vulgaris dry extract devoid of any behavioral toxicity dose-dependently decreased food intake (irrespective of the diet), body weight gain, and glycemia. Pretreatment with lorglumide blocked the reducing effect of P. vulgaris dry extract on food intake. The capacity of this P. vulgaris dry extract to reduce food intake, body weight, and glycemia in rats may be due to (a) inhibition of alpha-amylase, (b) stimulation of CCK release from the intestinal brush border cells, and/or (c) interference with the central mechanism(s) regulating appetite, food intake, and food palatability.
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Carai MA, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Cabras C, Colombo G, Gessa GL. γ-Aminobutyric AcidB (GABAB)-Receptor Mediation of Different In Vivo Effects of γ-Butyrolactone. J Pharmacol Sci 2008; 106:199-207. [DOI: 10.1254/jphs.fp0071487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Orrù A, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Gessa GL, Carai MAM, Colombo G. Repeated exposure to alcoholic beer does not induce long-lasting changes in alcohol self-administration and intake in sardinian alcohol-preferring and sardinian non-preferring rats. Alcohol Alcohol 2007; 42:513-24. [PMID: 17878214 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agm067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Rats avidly consume non-alcoholic beer, and addition of alcohol to non-alcoholic beer may function as a medium to induce intake of large amounts of alcohol in rats. The present study investigated whether Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and Sardinian non-preferring (sNP) rats, initially exposed to non-alcoholic beer, and subsequently to non-alcoholic beer containing increasing concentrations of alcohol, would develop unusually high alcohol self-administration and drinking behaviours: (i) when alcohol was added to non-alcoholic beer, and (2) once beer was withdrawn and a plain alcohol solution was made available. METHODS In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to operant, 30-min/day self-administration sessions of non-alcoholic beer with increasing concentrations of alcohol [0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% (v/v)] for a total of 45 days. After a brief 'beer-fading' phase, the rats were exposed to self-administration sessions of a plain 10% (v/v) alcohol solution. In Experiment 2, the rats were exposed to non-alcoholic beer with increasing concentrations of alcohol [0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% (v/v)] and water under the 2-bottle choice regimen with unlimited access (24 h/day) for a total of 35 days. After a brief 'beer-fading' phase, the rats were exposed to the choice between a plain 10% (v/v) alcohol solution and water. RESULTS sP and sNP rats did not differ in self-administration (Experiment 1) and intake (Experiment 2) of non-alcoholic beer. In Experiment 1, as alcohol content increased, the amount of self-administered alcohol increased progressively in sP rats (up to 1-1.2 g/kg) and remained stable in sNP rats (approximately 0.65 g/kg). When the plain 10% alcohol solution was available, the amount of self-administered alcohol in sP rats initially dropped, and tended to increase-up to approximately 0.6 g/kg-on continuing exposure. In sNP rats, their lever-pressing behaviour was rapidly extinguished after beer withdrawal. In Experiment 2, as alcohol content was increased, daily alcohol intake increased progressively in sP rats (up to 8-9 g/kg) and averaged approximately 2.4 g/kg in sNP rats. When the plain alcohol solution was available, daily alcohol intake in sP rats was initially low, reaching control values on continuing exposure; conversely, daily alcohol intake was completely suppressed in sNP rats. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that exposure to alcoholic beer resulted in unusually high intakes of alcohol in both sP and sNP rats for as long as non-alcoholic beer was added to alcohol; however, these high levels of alcohol self-administration and intake were not maintained once non-alcoholic beer was withdrawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Orrù
- Bernard B. Brodie, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari (CA), Italy
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Quang LS, Colombo G, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Orru A, Gessa GL, Maher TJ, Carai MAM. Evaluation for the withdrawal syndrome from gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) in different rat lines. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2007; 1074:545-58. [PMID: 17105952 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1369.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A severe and life-threatening gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) withdrawal syndrome, clinically similar to the alcohol withdrawal syndrome, is increasingly being reported in GHB addicts. We investigated for the occurrence of withdrawal in Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats, and in the selectively bred lines of GHB-sensitive (GHB-S) and Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, following chronic administration of GHB, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and/or 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD). Using validated rodent alcohol withdrawal scoring scales, little to no spontaneous or pharmacologically precipitated withdrawal effects were observed in Wistar, Sprague-Dawley, or GHB-S rats. Conversely, sP rats displayed both spontaneous and precipitated audiogenic seizures following abrupt cessation of chronic GHB or 1,4-BD administration and following pharmacological challenge with the GABA(B) receptor-selective antagonist, SCH 50911, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence S Quang
- Division of Pediatric Pharmacology & Critical Care, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Gessa GL. Phenotypic characterization of genetically selected Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and -non-preferring (sNP) rats. Addict Biol 2006; 11:324-38. [PMID: 16961762 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2006.00031.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and -non-preferring (sNP) rats are one of the pairs of rat lines selectively bred for high and low alcohol preference and consumption, respectively, under the homecage, continuous two-bottle choice regimen. sP rats meet most of the fundamental criteria for an animal model of alcoholism, in that they voluntarily consume sufficient amounts of alcohol to achieve significant blood alcohol levels and produce psychopharmacological effects, including anxiolysis and motor stimulation. sP rats are also willing to 'work' (such as lever-pressing) for alcohol. Chronic alcohol drinking in sP rats results in the development of tolerance to a given effect of alcohol (specifically, motor incoordination) and relapse-like drinking (the alcohol deprivation effect). Conversely, sNP rats avoid alcohol virtually completely; their avoidance for alcohol being resistant even to an environmental manipulation such as long-term exposure to alcohol plus sucrose. sP and sNP rats have been characterized for different phenotypes, possibly associated to their different alcohol preference and consumption. In comparison with sNP rats, alcohol-naive sP rats displayed (1) more anxiety-related behaviors; (2) higher initial sensitivity to the locomotor stimulating and sedative/hypnotic effects of alcohol; and (3) lower sensitivity to the aversive effects of alcohol. The present paper reviews the data collected to date on alcohol drinking behavior and other alcohol-related behaviors in sP and sNP rats. The behavioral profile of sP rats is also compared with that of other lines of selectively bred alcohol-preferring rats and the heterogeneity resulting from this comparison is discussed in terms of different animal models for the different forms of alcoholism.
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Gessa GL, Orrù A, Lai P, Maccioni P, Lecca R, Lobina C, Carai MAM, Colombo G. Lack of tolerance to the suppressing effect of rimonabant on chocolate intake in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 185:248-54. [PMID: 16491428 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0327-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2005] [Accepted: 01/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Previous work indicated that tolerance to the anorectic effect of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, rimonabant, developed rather rapidly in rats and mice given access to a standard rodent chow. The present study was designed to investigate whether the reducing effect of rimonabant on intake of a highly palatable food such as a chocolate-flavoured beverage underwent a development of tolerance as rapid as that manifested on intake of a standard rodent chow. MATERIALS AND METHODS To this aim, Wistar rats were concurrently exposed, with unlimited access for 24 h/day, to the chocolate-flavoured beverage, regular food pellets and water. Rimonabant (0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg; i.p.) was administered once a day for 21 consecutive days. RESULTS Rimonabant administration resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of the high, daily intake of the chocolate-flavoured beverage; this effect lasted for the entire 21-day treatment period, without any apparent development of tolerance. Conversely, rimonabant-induced reduction in daily intake of regular food pellets was of a smaller magnitude and was limited to the first 3-4 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results indicate that chronically administered rimonabant was more effective and longer-lasting in reducing the intake of a highly palatable food than that of regular food pellets in rats. These results also suggest that rimonabant may be more active on the hedonic rather than nutritive properties of diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luigi Gessa
- C.N.R. Institute of Neuroscience, Viale Diaz, 182, I-09126 Cagliari (CA), Italy
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Orrù A, Lai P, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Piras P, Scanu L, Froestl W, Gessa GL, Carai MAM, Colombo G. Reducing effect of the positive allosteric modulators of the GABA(B) receptor, CGP7930 and GS39783, on alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2005; 525:105-11. [PMID: 16289452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 07/14/2005] [Revised: 09/27/2005] [Accepted: 10/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The gamma-aminobutyric acidB (GABA(B)) receptor full agonists, baclofen and CGP44532, have been found to suppress different aspects of alcohol drinking behavior, including acquisition and maintenance, in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. The present study was designed to assess whether this capability extends to the recently synthesized, positive allosteric modulators of the GABA(B) receptor, 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-(3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-propyl)-phenol (CGP7930) and N,N'-dicyclopentyl-2-methylsulfanyl-5-nitro-pyrimidine-4,6-diamine (GS39783). In the "acquisition" experiments, CGP7930 (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg; i.g.) and GS39783 (0, 6.25, 12.5 and 25 mg/kg; i.g.) were administered for 5 consecutive days to alcohol-naive sP rats. In the "maintenance" experiments, (0, 50 and 100 mg/kg; i.g.) and GS39783 (0, 50 and 100 mg/kg; i.g.) were administered for 5 consecutive days to alcohol-experienced sP rats. Alcohol intake was evaluated under the standard, homecage 2-bottle "alcohol (10%, v/v) vs water" regimen with unlimited access for 24 h/day. Both CGP7930 and GS39783 dose-dependently suppressed the acquisition of alcohol drinking behavior. In the "maintenance" experiments, CGP7930 and GS39783 reduced daily alcohol intake by 30-40% only at the highest dose when compared to vehicle-treated rats; this effect tended to vanish on continuing treatment. The results of the present study suggest that positive allosteric modulation of the GABA(B) receptor produced an effect on alcohol drinking behavior similar to that produced by GABA(B) receptor full agonists. These data also suggest that positive allosteric modulation of the GABA(B) receptor may constitute a potential strategy for developing new drugs for treating alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Orrù
- Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari (CA), Italy
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Carai MAM, Quang LS, Atzeri S, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Orrù A, Gessa GL, Maher TJ, Colombo G. Withdrawal syndrome from γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 15:75-8. [PMID: 15886053 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresprot.2005.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2005] [Revised: 04/05/2005] [Accepted: 04/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and its precursors, 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), are recreational drugs widely abused in the US, Europe and Australasia. A severe withdrawal syndrome from GHB, 1,4-BD and GBL has been increasingly documented over the last years, necessitating the development of a reliable animal model for investigations of potential therapeutic approaches. The present study describes the induction and occurrence of audiogenic seizures as a sign of withdrawal from GHB and 1,4-BD in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, treated with escalating doses of GHB (1.5-3.5 g/kg, twice daily; i.g.) or 1,4-BD (500-1000 mg/kg, twice daily; i.g.) for 9 consecutive days. Acute administration of the selective GABA(B) receptor antagonist, SCH 50911, dramatically increased seizure occurrence. We propose that the inherent sensitivity of sP rats to different GHB-associated responses may have contributed to the unraveling of a phenomenon which was otherwise not recognizable in other rat strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro A M Carai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari, Italy
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Lobina C, Colombo G, Orrù A, Maccioni P, Gessa GL, Carai MAM. GHB-C rats: The control line of GHB-sensitive (GHB-S) and GHB-resistant (GHB-R) rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 15:1-5. [PMID: 15878144 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresprot.2005.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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: 01/04/2005] [Accepted: 02/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)-sensitive (GHB-S) and GHB-resistant (GHB-R) rats have been selectively bred for their opposite sensitivity to the sedative/hypnotic effect of GHB. This opposite sensitivity has been found to generalize to the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen. A control line [named GHB-control (GHB-C)] has been derived from the foundation stock of GHB-S and GHB-R rats. GHB-C rats have been bred without any evaluation of their sensitivity to GHB. The experiments described here were designed to evaluate the sensitivity of GHB-C rats, from the 13th generation, to the sedative/hypnotic effect of GHB (1 g/kg, i.p.) and baclofen (20 mg/kg, i.p.). All measures (onset, sleep time and r = sleep time/onset) of sensitivity to GHB- and baclofen-induced sedation/hypnosis in GHB-C rats were significantly different from and intermediate to those recorded in GHB-S and GHB-R rats. Furthermore, these values were similar to those recorded in the foundation stock. These results suggest that GHB-C rats may constitute a valid control line for GHB-S and GHB-R rats, representing the "general population" from which GHB-S and GHB-R rats were derived. Furthermore, the relative equidistance of sensitivity to GHB- and baclofen-induced sedation/hypnosis of GHB-C rats from those of GHB-S and GHB-R rats suggests that genetic factors contributes to the development of both sensitivity in GHB-S rats and resistance in GHB-R rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari, Italy
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Barbaccia ML, Carai MAM, Colombo G, Lobina C, Purdy RH, Gessa GL. Endogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptor active neurosteroids and the sedative/hypnotic action of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB): a study in GHB-S (sensitive) and GHB-R (resistant) rat lines. Neuropharmacology 2005; 49:48-58. [PMID: 15992580 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 09/30/2004] [Revised: 01/21/2005] [Accepted: 01/28/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the rat brain, gamma-hydroxybutyric-acid (GHB) increases the concentrations of 3alpha-hydroxy,5alpha-pregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone, 3alpha,5alpha-THP) and 3alpha,21-dihydroxy,5alpha-pregnan-20-one (allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone/3alpha,5alphaTHDOC), two neurosteroids acting as positive allosteric modulators of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptors. This study was aimed at assessing whether neurosteroids play a role in GHB-induced loss of righting reflex (LORR). Basal and GHB-stimulated brain concentrations of endogenous 3alpha,5alpha-THP and 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC were analyzed in two rat lines, GHB-sensitive (GHB-S) and GHB-resistant (GHB-R), selectively bred for opposite sensitivity to GHB-induced sedation/hypnosis. Basal neurosteroid concentrations were similar in brain cortex of the two rat lines. However, in male GHB-S rats, administration of GHB (1000 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min) increased brain cortical concentrations of 3alpha,5alpha-THP and 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC 7- and 2.5-fold, respectively, whilst male GHB-R animals displayed only a 4- and 2-fold increase, respectively. In GHB-S rats this increase lasted up to 90 min and declined 180 min following GHB administration, a time course that matches LORR onset and duration. In contrast, in GHB-R rats, which failed to show GHB-induced LORR, brain cortical 3alpha,5alpha-THP and 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC had returned to control values within 90 min. At onset of LORR, a similar increase in brain cortical levels of 3alpha,5alpha-THP and 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC (2-3-fold) was observed in GHB-S female rats and in the few female GHB-R rats that lost the righting reflex after GHB administration, but not in female GHB-R rats failing to show LORR. Sub-hypnotic doses (7.5 and 12.5 mg/kg, i.p.) of pregnanolone, administered 10 min before GHB, dose-dependently facilitated the expression of GHB-induced LORR in GHB-R male rats. These results suggest that the GHB-induced increases of brain 3alpha,5alpha-THP and 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC concentrations are implicated in the eliciting of the sedative/hypnotic action of GHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Barbaccia
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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Lobina C, Colombo G, Gessa GL, Carai MAM. Different sensitivity to the motor incoordinating effects of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and baclofen in GHB-sensitive and GHB-resistant rats. Brain Res 2005; 1033:109-12. [PMID: 15680346 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated whether the differential sensitivity of selectively bred gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)-sensitive (GHB-S) and GHB-resistant (GHB-R) rats to GHB- and baclofen-induced sedation/hypnosis generalized to the motor incoordinating effect of the two drugs. To this aim, GHB-S and GHB-R rats were tested on a Rota-Rod after the acute administration of GHB (100-500 mg/kg, i.p.) and baclofen (1.25-5 mg/kg, i.p.). Significant line differences were observed in the dose-response curves for both GHB and baclofen, with GHB-S rats displaying a greater sensitivity to the motor incoordinating effects of both drugs than GHB-R rats. No line difference was observed in diazepam (1.25-5 mg/kg, i.p.), pentobarbital (5-15 mg/kg, i.p.), and ethanol (1-1.5 g/kg, i.p.) dose-response curves. These results suggest that the differential sensitivity of GHB-S and GHB-R rats to GHB and baclofen extends to the effects produced by doses of the two drugs which are 5-10 times lower than those for which rats have been selectively bred. These results are discussed in terms of the GABA(B) receptor being the likely neural substrate on which the differential sensitivity of GHB-S and GHB-R rats resides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari, Italy
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Mascia MF, Orrù A, Gessa GL, Carai MAM. Suppression of maintenance of alcohol-drinking behavior by the concurrent availability of saccharin in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Alcohol 2005; 35:35-41. [PMID: 15922136 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2004.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/06/2004] [Revised: 10/11/2004] [Accepted: 10/19/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we investigated the effect of the concurrent presentation of saccharin on the maintenance of alcohol-drinking behavior in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Rats were initially given access to alcohol [10% (volume/volume) in water] and water under the home cage, two-bottle, free-choice regimen, with unlimited access for 24 h/day for eight consecutive weeks. Next, a third bottle, containing saccharin [0%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, or 3% (weight/volume) in water], was concomitantly offered for an additional 10 consecutive days. Intake of saccharin solution resulted as an inverted-U function of saccharin concentration, with the 0.1% saccharin solution being the highest accepted. Alcohol intake was a U function of saccharin concentration, being reduced by 65%-95% in the group of rats exposed to the 0.1% saccharin solution. These results indicate that (1) the concurrent presentation of highly palatable solutions of saccharin markedly reduced alcohol intake in alcohol-experienced sP rats and (2) the reducing effect of saccharin solutions on the alcohol intake in sP rats was positively related to their degree of acceptability. We hypothesized that saccharin solutions may have functioned as a reinforcer, partially substituting for alcohol reinforcement and rendering alcohol drinking less urgent.
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Colombo G, Lobina C, Maccioni P, Mascia MF, Orrù A, Gessa GL, Carai MAM. Suppression of acquisition of alcohol-drinking behavior by the concurrent availability of saccharin in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Alcohol 2005; 35:27-33. [PMID: 15922135 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2004.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/06/2004] [Revised: 10/11/2004] [Accepted: 10/19/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we investigated the effect of the concurrent presentation of saccharin on the acquisition of alcohol-drinking behavior in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Alcohol-naive rats were given access to saccharin [0%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, or 3% (weight/volume) in water], alcohol [10% (volume/volume) in water], and water under the home cage, three-bottle, free-choice regimen, with unlimited access for 24 h/day for 10 consecutive days. Intake of saccharin solution resulted as an inverted-U function of saccharin concentration, reaching polydipsic-like values at the 0.1% concentration. In contrast, alcohol intake was a U function of saccharin concentration, being virtually suppressed in the groups of rats exposed to the highly accepted 0.1% and 1% concentrations of saccharin. These results indicate that (1) the concurrent presentation of highly palatable solutions of saccharin suppresses acquisition of alcohol-drinking behavior in sP rats and (2) the suppressive effect of saccharin solutions on the acquisition of alcohol-drinking behavior in sP rats was positively related to their degree of acceptability. We hypothesize that an immediate and continuous access to the highly palatable saccharin solution may have distracted the rat, preventing it from consuming the amounts of alcohol solution needed to disclose and experience the psychopharmacologic effects of alcohol on which alcohol-drinking behavior in sP rats is based.
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Lobina C, Colombo G, Gessa GL, Carai MAM. Completion by the 10th generation of the bidirectional selective breeding of GHB-sensitive and GHB-resistant rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 13:53-6. [PMID: 15063841 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresprot.2004.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The present paper describes the completion of the bidirectional selective breeding of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)-sensitive (GHB-S) and GHB-resistant (GHB-R) rats, which display opposite sensitivity to the sedative/hypnotic effect of 1 g/kg GHB. Completion of the selective breeding process was achieved by the F10, when 100% of rats of each line fulfilled the selection criterion. GHB-S and GHB-R rats may constitute a valuable tool for investigations on GHB physiology and pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari, Italy
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Casu MA, Pisu C, Lobina C, Pani L. Immunocytochemical study of the forebrain serotonergic innervation in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2004; 172:341-51. [PMID: 14634717 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-003-1663-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2003] [Accepted: 09/15/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The anxiolytic effect of ethanol is generally considered to be causally related to the development of alcohol dependence, and serotonin (5-HT) has been involved in both alcohol abuse and anxiety disorders. Several lines of evidence suggest an inverse relationship between alcohol abuse and central serotonergic neurotransmission. OBJECTIVES When tested in the elevated plus-maze, selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats display a higher degree of anxiety than Sardinian alcohol-non-preferring rats (sNP); this behavior is reversed by voluntary ethanol intake. The present study examined whether sP rats differed with respect to the 5-HT innervation in different forebrain areas. METHODS We performed an immunohistochemistry study using an antibody raised against serotonin transporter (SERT), a marker for 5-HT fibers, coupled with an unbiased stereology, the method used to count the number of 5-HT neurons in the raphe nuclei. RESULTS The SERT-positive innervation density was found to be significantly lower in the medial-prefrontal cortex and in the shell of the nucleus accumbens of the ethanol-naive sP rats (sP-N) when compared with the sNP and unselected Wistar rats. No differences were found in the caudate putamen and hippocampus. The stereological analysis showed a significant difference in the number of 5-HT neurons in the dorsal but not in the median raphe of sP-N rats, compared with sNP and Wistar rats. Analysis of the cell body cross-sectional area revealed no differences among the three lines of rats either in the dorsal or in the median raphe. In sP rats that had voluntarily drunk ethanol for 14 consecutive days (sP-exp), no differences were found in the 5-HT innervation relative to sP-N animals. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate a selective reduction of innervation in the medial portion of the mesocorticolimbic 5-HT system in sP rats, suggesting that this genetically determined difference may be involved in the contrasting alcohol preference and consumption of sP and sNP animals.
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Brunetti G, Serra S, Vacca G, Lobina C, Curreli T, Carai MAM, Colombo G, Gessa GL. Long-term exposure to a sweetened alcoholic solution does not alter genetic aversion to ethanol in Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats. Alcohol 2003; 30:29-34. [PMID: 12878272 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(03)00038-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Results of a recent investigation revealed that selectively bred Indiana ethanol-nonpreferring (NP) rats could be "environmentally" conditioned to consume high amounts of ethanol. Specifically, a long-term exposure to a sucrose-plus-ethanol solution resulted, when sucrose was faded out, in an ethanol intake that was equivalent to that recorded in the counterpart ethanol-preferring (P) rats. The current study was designed to extend the above investigation to the selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats. To this aim, rats of the sNP and Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) lines were exposed to a 108-day sucrose-fading procedure, which was virtually identical to that previously used with NP and P rats. Results indicated that intake of the sucrose-plus-ethanol solution in sNP rats was maintained predominantly by sucrose, as negligible intakes of ethanol were observed when sucrose was faded out. In contrast, sP rats maintained high levels of ethanol intake both during and after the induction procedure. These results support the suggestion that an environmental manipulation such as a long-term exposure to a sucrose-fading procedure did not overcome the genetically determined predisposition to avoid ethanol in sNP rats.
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Sanna A, Congeddu E, Porcella A, Saba L, Pistis M, Peis M, Marchese G, Ruiu S, Lobina C, Grayson DR, Gessa GL, Pani L. Characterization of wild-type (R100R) and mutated (Q100Q) GABAA alpha 6 subunit in Sardinian alcohol non-preferring rats (sNP). Brain Res 2003; 967:98-105. [PMID: 12650970 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)04230-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sardinian alcohol non-preferring (sNP) rats, selected for their low ethanol preference and consumption, carry a point mutation (R100Q) in the gene coding for GABA(A) receptor alpha(6) subunit, which becomes more sensitive to diazepam-evoked GABA currents. We performed binding studies in the cerebellum of normal (RR) and mutated (QQ) sNP rats using [3H]Ro 15-4513, an inverse agonist for the benzodiazepine site which binds both diazepam insensitive and diazepam sensitive sites. Saturation curves performed on cerebellar membrane from genotyped rats indicated an higher affinity of [3H]Ro 15-4513 for GABA(A) receptors in QQ with respect to RR rats (K(d) values 4.0+/-0.67 and 6.24+/-0.95 nM, respectively), with similar B(max) values (3.5+/-0.25 and 3.9+/-0.39 pmol/mg protein, respectively). Diazepam displacement curves showed a two component model for both genotypes, with similar K(i1) values for QQ and RR (3.6+/-0.62 and 4.9+/-0.33 nM, respectively). In QQ rats diazepam is able to completely displace [3H]Ro 15-4513 (K(i2)=1.48+/-0.27 microM), while in RR rats the diazepam sensitive sites are still present (K(i2)>10 microM). The basal mRNA and protein expression level of the alpha(6) subunit were similar in RR and QQ rats. The electrophysiological profile of oocytes of Xenopus laevis injected with cerebellar synaptosomes showed that ethanol positively modulated GABA-evoked currents significantly more in QQ than in RR rats. These data contribute to the characterization of the function of GABA(A) alpha(6) subunit and its involvement in determining alcohol related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Sanna
- C.N.R. Institute of Neurogenetic and Neuropharmacology, Cagliari, Italy
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