scholarly journals Brain stress system response after morphine-conditioned place preference

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1999-2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan-Antonio García-Carmona ◽  
María-Victoria Milanés ◽  
María-Luisa Laorden
Keyword(s):  
Conditioned Place Preference ◽  
Home Cage ◽  
Nucleus Tractus Solitarius ◽  
Place Preference ◽  
System Response ◽  
Stress System ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Cage Group ◽  
Crf Neurons ◽  
The Brain

Abstract This study examined the involvement of the brain stress system in the reinforcing effects of morphine. One group of mice was conditioned to morphine using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm and the other group received morphine in a home-cage (non-conditioned). Adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay; phospho (p) CREB expression and the number of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons and fibres were measured by immunohistochemistry in different brain areas. We observed that the number of CRF neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was increased after morphine-induced CPP, which was paralleled with enhanced CRF-immunoreactivity fibres in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) vs. home-cage group injected with morphine. Morphine exposure induced an increase in CREB phosphorylated at Ser133 in the PVN and central amygdale (CeA), whereas mice exhibiting morphine CPP had higher levels of pCREB in the PVN, CeA and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). We also found that most of the CRF-positive neurons in the PVN, CeA and BNST co-express pCREB after morphine CPP expression, suggesting that the drug-associated environmental contexts can elicit neuronal activity in the brain stress system. From the present results it is clear that exposure to a drug-associated context remains a potent activator of signalling pathways leading to CRF activation in the brain stress system.

scholarly journals Methamphetamine withdrawal induces activation of CRF neurons in the brain stress system in parallel with an increased activity of cardiac sympathetic pathways

2018 ◽  
Vol 391 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Antonio García-Carmona ◽  
Polymnia Georgiou ◽  
Panos Zanos ◽  
Alexis Bailey ◽  
Maria Luisa Laorden
Keyword(s):  
Stress System ◽  
Crf Neurons ◽  
Increased Activity ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals SAT-605 Characterization of Dual Projection Patterns of Refeeding-Activated Neurons in the Parasubthalamic Nucleus

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabor Wittmann ◽  
Nicholas Cosentino ◽  
Ronald M Lechan
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Nucleus Tractus Solitarius ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Alexa Fluor ◽  
The Brain

Abstract We have observed that following a fast, animals terminate their food intake within 2h after refeeding accompanied by a pattern of neuronal activation as identified by c-fos immunostaining that involves a number of brain regions associated with the regulation of food intake including the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), parabrachial nucleus (PBN), central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), hypothalamic arcuate and paraventricular nuclei, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. We also observed striking c-fos activation in the posterior-lateral hypothalamus called the parasubthalamic nucleus or PSTN, raising the possibility that it may also be an important anorectic center in the brain. To establish how the PSTN is integrated into the CNS, we performed dual-label retrograde tract tracing studies to characterize whether refeeding-activated PSTN neurons project to one, or more than one target area in the CNS. Adult, Sprague-Dawley rats received dual stereotaxic injections of Alexa Fluor 488- and Alexa Fluor 555-conjugated cholera toxin β subunit (CTB; 0.1%, 0.5–1 µl volume) into the 1) PBN and NTS, 2) PBN and CEA and 3) NTS and CEA. After 7–12 days, the animals were fasted for 24 h and then given free access to food for 2 h before euthanasia by transcardial perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde. Brains with successful dual injections were further processed for c-fos immunohistochemistry. The results showed that 26.5±3.8% of PSTN neurons projecting to the PBN also project to the CEA, and 34.6±7.6% of PSTN neurons that project to the CEA also project to the PBN. In addition, 20.2±2.7% of PSTN neurons that project to the PBN also project to the NTS, and 38.1±9.7% of PSTN neurons that project to the NTS also project to the PBN. Furthermore, 35.0±12.5% of PSTN neurons that project to the CEA project to the NTS and 37.1±4.0% of PSTN neurons that project to the NTS project to the CEA. Finally, up to 15% of the neurons with dual projections to the PBN and CEA contained c-fos after refeeding; up to 18% of the neurons with dual projections to the PBN and NTS contained c-fos; and up to 30% of neurons with dual projections to the NTS and CEA contained c-fos. We conclude that a large number of PSTN neurons have more than one projection site within the brain, thus the PSTN appears to have the capability of simultaneously communicating information about appetite to several, major feeding-related sites within the brain, presumably to terminate feeding.

Effect of Inhibition of the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala and Drug Experience on the Regions Underlying Footshock-Induced Reinstatement of Morphine Seeking

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 992-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
DY Ma ◽  
MY Xu ◽  
HC Yang ◽  
LZ Yang
Keyword(s):  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Place Preference ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Drug Experience ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Fos Expression ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Brain

This study assessed the effect of inhibition of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and drug experience on brain regions underlying footshock-induced reinstatement of morphine-seeking behaviour in rats. The difference in time spent in two chambers of a place-preference apparatus was used to measure morphine-conditioned place preference. Fos was measured as a marker of neuronal activation in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTv) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Footshock was found to enhance Fos expression in the BNSTv regardless of drug experience. In the VTA, morphine and footshock had an interactive effect on the increase in Fos expression. Inhibition of the CeA decreased Fos expression in the BNSTv regardless of drug experience, whereas in the VTA this effect only occurred in morphine-treated rats. These results suggest that drug experience has no differential effect on the BNSTv however morphine produces footshock sensitization in the VTA. CeA inhibition modulates the footshock-induced activity of these regions of the brain and attenuates reinstatement of drug seeking behaviour.

scholarly journals Ethanol-induced conditioned place preference and aversion differentially alter plasticity in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipanwita Pati ◽  
Melanie M. Pina ◽  
Thomas L. Kash
Keyword(s):  
Conditioned Place Preference ◽  
Drugs Of Abuse ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Glutamate Release ◽  
Place Preference ◽  
Place Conditioning ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Drug Seeking ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Seeking Behavior

AbstractContextual cues associated with drugs of abuse, such as ethanol, can trigger craving and drug seeking behavior. Pavlovian procedures, such as place conditioning, have been widely used to study the rewarding/aversive properties of drugs and the association between environmental cues and drug seeking. Previous research has shown that ethanol as an unconditioned stimulus can induce a strong conditioned place preference (CPP) or aversion (CPA) in rodents. However, the neural mechanisms underlying ethanol induced reward and aversion have not been thoroughly investigated. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), an integral part of the extended amygdala, is engaged by both rewarding and aversive stimuli and plays a role in ethanol seeking behavior. Here, we used ex-vivo slice physiology to probe learning-induced synaptic plasticity in the BNST following ethanol-induced CPP and CPA. Male DBA/2J mice (2-3 months old) were conditioned using previously reported ethanol-induced CPP/CPA procedures. Ethanol-induced CPP was associated with increased neuronal excitability in the ventral BNST (vBNST). Conversely, ethanol-induced CPA resulted in a significant decrease in spontaneous glutamatergic transmission without alterations in GABAergic signaling. Ethanol-CPA also led to significant increase in paired pulse ratio at excitatory synapses, suggestive of a decrease in presynaptic glutamate release. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the vBNST is involved in the modulation of contextual learning associated with both the rewarding and the aversive properties of ethanol in mice.

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