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Background Craving for alcohol, in other words powerful desire to drink after withdrawal, is an important contributor to the development and maintenance of alcoholism. Here, we studied the role of GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) on alcohol-seeking behavior in group-housed female mice. Methods We modeled alcohol-seeking behavior in C57Bl/6J female mice. The behavioral experiments in group-housed female mice were performed in an automated IntelliCage system. We conducted RT-qPCR analysis of Gdnf, Bdnf, Manf and Cdnf expression in different areas of the female mouse brain after alcohol drinking conditioning. We injected an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector expressing human GDNF or BDNF in mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) after ten days of alcohol drinking conditioning and assessed alcohol-seeking behavior. Behavioral data were analyzed by two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, and statistically significant effects were followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test. The student’s t-test was used to analyze qPCR data. Results The RT-qPCR data showed that Gdnf mRNA level in NAc was more than four times higher (p Manf mRNA (p = 0.04) and Cdnf mRNA (p = 0.02) levels in the hippocampus and Manf mRNA in the VTA (p = 0.04) after alcohol consumption. Two-fold endogenous overexpression of Gdnf mRNA and lack of CDNF did not affect alcohol-seeking behavior. The AVV-GDNF overexpression in nucleus accumbens suppressed alcohol-seeking behavior while overexpression of BDNF did not. Conclusions The effect of increased endogenous Gdnf mRNA level in female mice upon alcohol drinking has remained unknown. Our data suggest that an increase in endogenous GDNF expression upon alcohol drinking occurs in response to the activation of another mesolimbic reward pathway participant.

Author(s): Berg, Elizabeth L; Jami, Shekib A; Petkova, Stela P; Berz, Annuska; Fenton, Timothy A; Lerch, Jason P; Segal, David J; Gray, John A; Ellegood, Jacob; Wohr, Markus; Silverman, Jill L | Abstract: Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disabilities, motor and balance deficits, impaired communication, and a happy, excitable demeanor with frequent laughter. We sought to elucidate a preclinical outcome measure in male and female rats that addressed communication abnormalities of AS and other neurodevelopmental disorders in which communication is atypical and/or lack of speech is a core feature. We discovered, and herein report for the first time, excessive laughter-like 50-kHz ultrasonic emissions in the Ube3a mat-/pat+ rat model of AS, which suggests an excitable, playful demeanor and elevated positive affect, similar to the demeanor of individuals with AS. Also in line with the AS phenotype, Ube3a mat-/pat+ rats demonstrated aberrant social interactions with a novel partner, distinctive gait abnormalities, impaired cognition, an underlying long-term potentiation deficit, and profound reductions in brain volume. These unique, robust phenotypes provide advantages compared to currently available mouse models and will be highly valuable as outcome measures in the evaluation of therapies for AS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAngelman Syndrome (AS) is a severe neurogenetic disorder for which there is no cure, despite decades of research using mouse models. This study utilized a recently developed rat model of AS to delineate disease-relevant outcome measures in order to facilitate therapeutic development. We found the rat to be a strong model of AS, offering several advantages over mouse models by exhibiting numerous AS-relevant phenotypes including overabundant laughter-like vocalizations, reduced hippocampal long-term potentiation, and volumetric anomalies across the brain. These findings are unconfounded by detrimental motor abilities and background strain, issues plaguing mouse models. This rat model represents an important advancement in the field of AS and the outcome metrics reported herein will be central to the therapeutic pipeline.

Rationale Risk factors for drug addiction include genetics, environment, and behavioral traits such as impulsivity and novelty preference (NP), which have been related to deficits in striatal dopamine (DA) D2/3-receptors (D2/3R) and heightened amphetamine (AMPH)-induced DA release. However, the influence of the early rearing environment on these behavioral and neurochemical variables is not clear. Objectives We investigated the influence of early rearing environment on striatal D2/3R availabilities and AMPH-induced DA release in relation to impulsivity, NP, and propensity to drug self-administration (SA) in “addiction-prone” Roman high- (RHA) and “addiction-resistant” Roman low-avoidance (RLA) rats. Methods Animals were reared post-weaning in either environmental enrichment (EE) or impoverishment (EI) and were assessed at adulthood for impulsivity, NP, and propensity to cocaine SA. EE and EI rats were also scanned using single-photon emission computed tomography to concurrently measure in vivo striatal D2/3R availability and AMPH-induced DA release. Results EE vs. EI was associated with heightened impulsivity and a lack of NP in both rat lines. Higher dorsal striatal D2/3R densities were found in RHA EE and higher AMPH-induced DA release in RLA EE. Both impulsivity and NP were negatively correlated to dorsal striatal D2/3R availabilities and positively correlated with AMPH-induced DA release in EI but not in EE. EE vs. EI was related to a faster rate of cocaine intake and elevated active timeout responses in RHAs. Conclusion Our results suggest non-monotonic, environment-dependent, relationships between impulsivity, NP, and D2/3R-mediated signaling, and suggest that EI vs. EE may decrease the reinforcing effects of psychostimulants in predisposed individuals.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug and is known to alter state of consciousness and impair neurocognitive function. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be fully elucidated. Rodent studies suggest that Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) activates dopaminergic neurons in the limbic system, subsequently enhancing dopamine, which is implicated in the rewarding effects of cannabis. Additional evidence suggests that THC may act indirectly on dopamine firing by modulating GABA and glutamate release. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed the acute influence of two doses of THC on brain kinetics of glutamate, GABA, and dopamine, in relation to behavioral outcomes, by using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty occasional cannabis users received acute doses of cannabis (300 mu g/kg THC) and placebo, in one of two dose regimes (full dose and divided dose), during two separate testing days. Administration of THC increased striatal glutamate concentrations, and dopamine as indicated by a reduction in functional connectivity (FC) between the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and cortical areas. Alterations in glutamate and FC were dose dependent and evident in the full dose group where THC serum concentrations exceeded 2 ng/ml at T-max. Average glutamate changes correlated strongly with FC alterations. Additionally, THC induced changes in FC correlated with feelings of subjective high and decreased performance on an attention task. Taken together, this suggests that THC elicits subjective and cognitive alterations via increased striatal dopaminergic activity and loss of corticostriatal connectivity, which is associated with an increase in striatal glutamate. (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (DaNs) of the substantia nigra pars compacta and the decrease of dopamine in the brain. Grafting DaN differentiated from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) has been proposed as an alternative therapy for current pharmacological treatments. Intrastriatal grafting of such DaNs differentiated from mouse or human ESCs improves motor performance, restores DA release, and suppresses dopamine receptor super-sensitivity. However, a low percentage of grafted neurons survive in the brain. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a strong survival factor for DaNs. GDNF has proved to be neurotrophic for DaNs in vitro and in vivo, and induces axonal sprouting and maturation. Here, we engineered mouse ESCs to constitutively produce human GDNF, to analyze DaN differentiation and the possible neuroprotection by transgenic GDNF after toxic challenges in vitro, or after grafting differentiated DaNs into the striatum of Parkinsonian rats. GDNF overexpression throughout in vitro differentiation of mouse ESCs increases the proportion of midbrain DaNs. These transgenic cells were less sensitive than control cells to 6-hydroxydopamine in vitro. After grafting control or GDNF transgenic DaNs in hemi-Parkinsonian rats, we observed significant recoveries in both pharmacological and non-pharmacological behavioral tests, as well as increased striatal DA release, indicating that DaNs are functional in the brain. The graft volume, the number of surviving neurons, the number of DaNs present in the striatum, and the proportion of DaNs in the grafts were significantly higher in rats transplanted with GDNF-expressing cells, when compared to control cells. Interestingly, no morphological alterations in the brain of rats were found after grafting of GDNF-expressing cells. This approach is novel, because previous works have use co-grafting of DaNs with other cell types that express GDNF, or viral transduction in the host tissue before or after grafting of DaNs. In conclusion, GDNF production by mouse ESCs contributes to enhanced midbrain differentiation and permits a higher number of surviving DaNs after a 6-hydroxydopamine challenge in vitro, as well as post-grafting in the lesioned striatum. These GDNF-expressing ESCs can be useful to improve neuronal survival after transplantation.

To minimize motion-related distortion of reconstructed images, conventional positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of the brain inevitably require a firm and tight head restraint. While such a restraint is now a routine procedure in brain imaging, the physiological and psychological consequences resulting from the restraint have not been elucidated. To address this problem, we developed a restraint-free brain PET system and conducted PET scans under both restrained and non-restrained conditions. We examined whether head restraint during PET scans could alter brain activities such as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and dopamine release along with psychological stress related to head restraint. Under both conditions, 20 healthy male participants underwent [15O]H2O and [11C]Raclopride PET scans during working memory tasks with the same PET system. Before, during, and after each PET scan, we measured physiological and psychological stress responses, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores. Analysis of the [15O]H2O-PET data revealed higher rCBF in regions such as the parahippocampus in the restrained condition. We found the binding potential (BPND) of [11C]Raclopride in the putamen was significantly reduced in the restrained condition, which reflects an increase in dopamine release. Moreover, the restraint-induced change in BPND was correlated with a shift in the state anxiety score of the STAI, indicating that less anxiety accompanied smaller dopamine release. These results suggest that the stress from head restraint could cause unsolicited responses in brain physiology and emotional states. The restraint-free imaging system may thus be a key enabling technology for the natural depiction of the mind.

Previous studies have pointed out that l -DOPA can interact with D1 or D2 receptors independent of its conversion to endogenous dopamine. The present study was set to investigate whether l -DOPA modulates dopamine release from striatal nerve terminals, using a preparation of synaptosomes preloaded with [3H]DA. Levodopa (1 µM) doubled the K+-induced [3H]DA release whereas the D2/D3 receptor agonist pramipexole (100 nM) inhibited it. The l -DOPA-evoked facilitation was mimicked by the D1 receptor agonist SKF38393 (30–300 nM) and prevented by the D1/D5 antagonist SCH23390 (100 nM) but not the DA transporter inhibitor GBR12783 (300 nM) or the aromatic l -amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (1 µM). Higher l -DOPA concentrations (10 and 100 µM) elevated spontaneous [3H]DA efflux. This effect was counteracted by GBR12783 but not SCH23390. Binding of [3H]SCH23390 in synaptosomes (in test tubes) revealed a dense population of D1 receptors (2105 fmol/mg protein). Both SCH23390 and SKF38393 fully inhibited [3H]SCH23390 binding (Ki 0.42 nM and 29 nM, respectively). l -DOPA displaced [3H]SCH23390 binding maximally by 44% at 1 mM. This effect was halved by addition of GBR12935 and benserazide. We conclude that l -DOPA facilitates exocytotic [3H]DA release through SCH23390-sensitive D1 receptors, independent of its conversion to DA. It also promotes non-exocytotic [3H]DA release, possibly via conversion to DA and reversal of DA transporter. These data confirm that l -DOPA can directly interact with dopamine D1 receptors and might extend our knowledge of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying l -DOPA clinical effects.

The brain detects deviations from intended behaviors by estimating the mismatch between predicted and actual outcomes. Axiomatic to these computations are salience and valence prediction error signals, which alert the brain to the occurrence and value of unexpected events. Despite the theoretical assertion of these prediction error signals, it is unknown whether and how brain mechanisms underlying their computations support error processing during skilled motor behavior. Here we demonstrate, with functional magnetic resonance imaging, that internal detection, i.e., without externally-provided feedback, of self-generated movement errors evokes instantaneous activity increases within the salience network and delayed lingering decreases within the nucleus accumbens – a key structure in the reward valuation pathway. A widespread suppression within the sensorimotor network was also observed. Our findings suggest that neural computations of salience and valence prediction errors during skilled motor behaviors operate on different time-scales and, therefore, may contribute differentially to immediate and longer-term adaptive processes., Ella Gabitov et al. use functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify changes in neural activity when participants commit an error in a motor sequence task. Their results suggest that two distinct neural circuits are involved in the processing of action errors: (1) the salience network that signals surprise and novelty, and (2) the reward pathway that plays a central role in motivation and incentive drive.

International audience; Serotonin2B receptor (5-HT2BR) antagonists inhibit cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion independently of changes of accumbal dopamine (DA) release. Given the tight relationship between accumbal DA activity and locomotion, and the inhibitory role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) DA on subcortical DA neurotransmission and DA-dependent behaviors, it has been suggested that the suppressive effect of 5-HT2BR antagonists on cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion may result from an activation of mPFC DA outflow which would subsequently inhibit accumbal DA neurotransmission. Here, we tested this hypothesis by means of the two selective 5-HT2BR antagonists, RS 127445 and LY 266097, using a combination of neurochemical, behavioral and cellular approaches in male rats. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of RS 127445 (0.16 mg/kg) or LY 266097 (0.63 mg/kg) potentiated cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced mPFC DA outflow. The suppressant effect of RS 127445 on cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion was no longer observed in rats with local 6-OHDA lesions in the mPFC. Also, RS 127445 blocked cocaine-induced changes of accumbal glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β phosphorylation, a postsynaptic cellular marker of DA neurotransmission. Finally, in keeping with the location of 5-HT2BRs on GABAergic interneurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), the intra-DRN perfusion of the GABAAR antagonist bicuculline (100 μM) prevented the effect of the systemic or local (1 μM, intra-DRN) administration of RS 127445 on cocaine-induced mPFC DA outflow. Likewise, intra-DRN bicuculline injection (0.1 μg/0.2 μl) prevented the effect of the systemic RS 127445 administration on cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion and GSK3β phosphorylation. These results show that DRN 5-HT2BR blockade suppresses cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion by potentiation of cocaine-induced DA outflow in the mPFC and the subsequent inhibition of accumbal DA neurotransmission.

There is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine (METH) use disorder. New therapeutic approaches are needed, especially for people who use METH heavily and are at high risk for overdose. This study used genetically engineered rats to evaluate PARKIN as a potential target for METH use disorder. PARKIN knockout, PARKIN-overexpressing, and wild-type young adult male Long Evans rats were trained to self-administer high doses of METH using an extended-access METH self-administration paradigm. Reinforcing/rewarding properties of METH were assessed by quantifying drug-taking behavior and time spent in a METH-paired environment. PARKIN knockout rats self-administered more METH and spent more time in the METH-paired environment than wild-type rats. Wild-type rats overexpressing PARKIN self-administered less METH and spent less time in the METH-paired environment. PARKIN knockout rats overexpressing PARKIN self-administered less METH during the first half of drug self-administration days than PARKIN-deficient rats. The results indicate that rats with PARKIN excess or PARKIN deficit are useful models for studying neural substrates underlying “resilience” or vulnerability to METH use disorder and identify PARKIN as a novel potential drug target to treat heavy use of METH.

Although L-DOPA revolutionized in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, most patients developed motor complications after several years of treatment. Adjunctive therapy to L-DOPA with drugs related to dopaminergic signaling may reduce its dose without decreasing the therapeutic efficiency and thus ameliorates its adverse effects. It has been shown that 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), a K channel blocker, increased dopamine release from striatal slices by increasing neuronal firing in striatal dopaminergic terminals. The current study investigates whether 3,4-DAP may enhance L-DOPA-induced dopamine (DA) release from striatal slices by increasing neuronal firing in striatal dopaminergic terminals. The effects of L-DOPA and 3,4-DAP on spontaneous DA and DOPAC release were tested in vitro, on acute rat striatal slices prepared from non-treated and 6-hydroxydopamine-pre-treated rats. DA and DOPAC levels were determined by HPLC methods. When 3,4-diaminopyridine was combined with L-DOPA, the observed effect was considerably greater than the increases induced by L-DOPA or 3,4-DAP alone in normoxic and neurodegenerative conditions produced by FeSO4 and 6-hydroxydopamine. Furthermore, L-DOPA plus 3,4-DAP also ameliorated DOPAC levels in neurodegenerative conditions. These data indicate that 3,4 DAP plus L-DOPA activates striatal dopaminergic terminals by increasing the DA release and, thus, could be considered as a promising finding in treatment of acute and chronic injury in dopaminergic neurons.

Rationale In rodents, acute haloperidol treatment induces psychomotor impairments known as catalepsy, which models akinesia in humans and is characterized as an animal model of acute Parkinsonism, whereas sub-chronic haloperidol reduces exploratory behavior, which resembles bradykinesia. Haloperidol-induced catalepsy in rats can be ameliorated by playback of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV), an emotionally and motivationally relevant appetitive auditory stimulus, representing an animal model of paradoxical kinesia. In a condition like PD where patients suffer from chronic motor impairments, it is paramount to assess the long-term symptom relief in an animal model of Parkinsonism. Objectives We investigated whether 50-kHz USV playback ameliorates psychomotor deficits induced by haloperidol in a sub-chronic dosing regimen. Methods In phase 1, distance traveled and number of rearing behavior were assessed in an activity chamber in order to investigate whether sub-chronic haloperidol treatment induced psychomotor impairments. In phase 2, we investigated whether 50-kHz USV playback could overcome these impairments by assessing exploratory behaviors and approach behavior towards the sound source in the 50-kHz USV radial maze playback paradigm. Results Sub-chronic haloperidol treatment led to psychomotor deficits since the distance traveled and number of rearing behavior were reduced as compared to saline control group or baseline. These psychomotor impairments were ameliorated during playback of 50-kHz USV, with haloperidol treated rats showing a clear social approach behavior towards the sound source exclusively during playback. Conclusions This study provides evidence that 50-kHz USV playback induces paradoxical kinesia in rats exhibiting motor deficits after sub-chronic haloperidol, as we previously showed after acute haloperidol treatment.

The mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) circuit, comprising the mesolimbic and mesocortical DA pathways, plays a crucial role in reward, cognitive control, and motivation. The positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, [C-11]raclopride, has been used widely to image DA receptors and DA changes in the mesolimbic pathway before and after pharmacological and behavioral challenges. In certain circumstances, properties of traditional kinetic models—used to analyze dynamic PET data—are not well-suited to describing the effects of stimulus-induced DA release. To combat model shortcomings, the authors have advanced a suite of models that characterizes PET data in the presence of time-varying DA release. We review select [C-11]raclopride studies of the striatum during cigarette smoking to illustrate the advantages of such models. DA receptors occur in lower density in the cortex than the striatum. This, as well as higher relative background signal, poses a serious challenge to quantitative PET of DA changes in the mesocortical system. Novel high affinity radioligands [F-18]fallypride and [C-11]FLB457 have been used to image mesocortical DA transmission. Models with time-varying terms may also hold the key to optimizing sensitivity to changes in mesocortical DA. As an illustration, we compare recent PET studies of the effect of stress on cortical DA release. Finally, we consider some challenges and strategies for further optimization of sensitivity of PET to stimulus-induced DA changes throughout the whole brain. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11682-017-9779-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cigarette addiction is driven partly by the physiological effects of nicotine, but also by the distinctive sensory and behavioural aspects of smoking, and understanding the neural effects of such processes is vital. There are many practical difficulties associated with subjects smoking in the modern neuroscientific laboratory environment, however electronic cigarettes obviate many of these issues, and provide a close simulation of smoking tobacco cigarettes. We have examined the neural effects of ‘smoking’ electronic cigarettes with concurrent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The results demonstrate the feasibility of using these devices in the MRI environment, and show brain activation in a network of cortical (motor cortex, insula, cingulate, amygdala) and sub-cortical (putamen, thalamus, globus pallidus, cerebellum) regions. Concomitant relative deactivations were seen in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. These results reveal the brain processes involved in (simulated) smoking for the first time, and validate a novel approach to the study of smoking, and addiction more generally.

Acute exposure to cannabis comes with neurocognitive impairment, leading to increased risk of human error and injury. Evidence however indicates that such acute effects are less prominent in chronic users, suggesting cannabis tolerance. Models of cannabis tolerance stress the importance of neurobiological or behavioral adaptations following repeated cannabis exposure. The pharmacodynamic model relates neuroadaptive changes in the brain to a blunted response to cannabis. Downregulation of CB1 receptors in chronic cannabis users has been associated with a normalization of dopaminergic output from the ventral tegmental area to the mesolimbic circuit, and a reduction of impairment during acute cannabis exposure. Such neuroadaptions are absent in occasional users, who show strong increments of dopamine and glutamate levels in the striatum, a loss of functional connectivity within the mesolimbic circuit and neurocognitive impairments when exposed to cannabis. Evidence for a behavioral model of cannabis tolerance that poses that users can have volitional control to overcome functional impairment during cannabis intoxication is relatively weak, and at best shows limited control over a limited number of behavioral functions. Cannabis tolerance is most likely to occur in users that consume high doses of cannabis continuously, at a high pace, for a prolonged period of time. Knowledge on frequency, dose and duration of cannabis use that is needed to achieve, maintain or lessen tolerance however is very limited, but will be of importance in the context of cannabis therapeutics and in legal settings when evaluating the impact of cannabis exposure on human function.

The locus coeruleus (LC) supplies norepinephrine (NE) to the entire forebrain, regulates many fundamental brain functions, and is implicated in several neuropsychiatric diseases. Although selective manipulation of the LC is not possible in humans, studies have suggested that strong LC activation might shift network connectivity to favor salience processing. To test this hypothesis, we use a mouse model to study the impact of LC stimulation on large-scale functional connectivity by combining chemogenetic activation of the LC with resting-state fMRI, an approach we term “chemo-connectomics”. LC activation rapidly interrupts ongoing behavior and strongly increases brain-wide connectivity, with the most profound effects in the salience and amygdala networks. We reveal a direct correlation between functional connectivity changes and transcript levels of alpha-1, alpha-2, and beta-1 adrenoceptors across the brain, and a positive correlation between NE turnover and functional connectivity within select brain regions. These results represent the first brain-wide functional connectivity mapping in response to LC activation, and demonstrate a causal link between receptor expression, brain states and functionally connected large-scale networks at rest. We propose that these changes in large-scale network connectivity are critical for optimizing neural processing in the context of increased vigilance and threat detection.

Antipsychotic treatment resistance in schizophrenia remains a major issue in psychiatry. Nearly 30% of patients with schizophrenia do not respond to antipsychotic treatment, yet the underlying neurobiological causes are unknown. All effective antipsychotic medications are thought to achieve their efficacy by targeting the dopaminergic system. Here we review early literature describing the fundamental mechanisms of antipsychotic drug efficacy, highlighting mechanistic concepts that have persisted over time. We then reconsider the original framework for understanding antipsychotic efficacy in light of recent advances in our scientific understanding of the dopaminergic effects of antipsychotics. Based on these new insights, we describe a role for the dopamine transporter in the genesis of both antipsychotic therapeutic response and primary resistance. We believe that this discussion will help delineate the dopaminergic nature of antipsychotic treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Many species, including humans, are sensitive to social signals and the valuation of these social cues is important in maintaining social interactions. Social value, derived from social cues, thus could act as a reinforcer and influence reward learning. Here, we introduce a novel task in rats that investigates if social value can drive reinforcement learning about novel stimuli. Using the blocking/unblocking paradigm originally developed in the (non-social) reinforcement learning literature, we found that when actor rats have fully learned a stimulus-reward association producing reward for themselves, adding a cue that predicted an additional reward delivery to a partner rat unblocked associative learning about this cue in the actor rats. In contrast, additional cues that did not predict additional reward remained blocked from acquiring associative value. In a control experiment where putative social cue exchange between the partnered rats was prevented, the normally unblocked cues now remained blocked as expected. Taken together, these results suggest that social value can drive reinforcement learning in rats, and that the transmission of social cues is necessary for this learning, driven by social value, to occur.

The glycine transporter-1 inhibitor Org25935 is a promising candidate in a treatment concept for alcohol use disorder targeting the glycine system. Org25935 inhibits ethanol-induced dopamine elevation in brain reward regions and reduces ethanol intake in Wistar rats. This study aimed to further characterise the compound and used ethanol consumption, behavioral measures, and gene expression as parameters to investigate the effects in Wistar rats and, as pharmacogenetic comparison, Alko-Alcohol (AA) rats. Animals were provided limited access to ethanol in a two-bottle free-choice paradigm with daily drug administration. Acute effects of Org25935 were estimated using locomotor activity and neurobehavioral status. Effects on gene expression in Wistar rats were measured with qPCR. The higher but not the lower dose of Org25935 reduced alcohol intake in Wistar rats. Unexpectedly, Org25935 reduced both ethanol and water intake and induced strong CNS-depressive effects in AA-rats (withdrawn from further studies). Neurobehavioral effects by Org25935 differed between the strains (AA-rats towards sedation). Org25935 did not affect gene expression at the mRNA level in the glycine system of Wistar rats. The data indicate a small therapeutic range for the anti-alcohol properties of Org25935, a finding that may guide further evaluations of the clinical utility of GlyT-1 inhibitors. The results point to the importance of pharmacogenetic considerations when developing drugs for alcohol-related medical concerns. Despite the lack of successful clinical outcomes, to date, the heterogeneity of drug action of Org25935 and similar agents and the unmet medical need justify further studies of glycinergic compounds in alcohol use disorder.

Background: Prefrontal repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) may improve negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, but few studies have investigated the underlying neural mechanism.Objective: This study aims to investigate changes in the levels of glutamate and glutamine (Glx, neurotransmitter and precursor) and N-Acetyl Aspartate (NAA) in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia treated with active bilateral prefrontal rTMS as compared to sham-rTMS, as measured with H-1-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (H-1-MRS).Methods: Patients were randomized to a 3-week course of active or sham high-frequency rTMS. Pretreatment and post-treatment 1H-MRS data were available for 24 patients with schizophrenia with moderate to severe negative symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale >= 15). Absolute metabolite concentrations were calculated using LCModel with the water peak as reference. To explore the association between treatment condition and changes in concentration of Glx and NAA, we applied a linear regression model.Results: We observed an increase of Glx concentration in the active treatment group and a decrease of Glx concentration in the group receiving sham treatment. The association between changes in Glx concentration and treatment condition was significant. No significant associations between changes in NAA and treatment condition were found.Conclusions: Noninvasive neurostimulation with high-frequency bilateral prefrontal rTMS may influence Glx concentration in the prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and further elucidate the underlying neural working mechanism of rTMS. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) may involve endogenous and exogenous factors. 1-Benzyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1BnTIQ), which was shown to be neurotoxic for dopaminergic neurons, is one of such factors, thus it can be used to construct an animal model of PD. In contrast, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ) produce neuroprotective effects acting as monoamino oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and free radical scavengers that reduce oxidative stress in the mammalian brain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of neuroprotective compounds, TIQ and 1MeTIQ, on the dopamine release in vivo in an animal model of PD induced by chronic administration of 1BnTIQ (25 mg/kg i.p.). Using an in vivo microdialysis methodology, we measured the impact of both acute and chronic treatment with TIQ and 1MeTIQ (50 mg/kg i.p.) on 1BnTIQ-induced changes in dopamine release in the rat striatum. Additionally, the behavioral test was carried out to check the influence of repeated administrations of the investigated compounds on the locomotor activity of rats. The behavioral studies showed that the chronic administration of 1BnTIQ produced a significant elevation of exploratory locomotor activity, and both the investigated amines, TIQ and 1MeTIQ, administered together with 1BnTIQ completely prevented 1BnTIQ-produced hyperactivity. The in vivo microdialysis studies demonstrated that the chronic treatment with 1BnTIQ caused a significant and long-lasting increase in the dopamine release (approximately 300 %) to the extracellular space in the rat striatum, which was demonstrated in the basal samples 24 h after 1BnTIQ injection. The combined chronic administration of 1BnTIQ and the investigated compounds, TIQ or 1MeTIQ, completely antagonized the 1BnTIQ-induced essential disturbances of the dopamine releasing to the extracellular space in the striatum. In conclusion, we suggest that higher concentrations of 1BnTIQ in the brain produced distinct impairment in the dopamine release, whereas TIQ and 1MeTIQ (compounds with previously revealed neuroprotective properties) completely prevented 1BnTIQ-induced abnormalities in the function of dopamine neurons and restored the dopamine release to the control values.

Glycyl-L-glutamine (Gly-Gln; beta-endorphin(30-31)) is an endogenous dipeptide synthesized through the post-translational processing of beta-endorphin(1-31). Central Gly-Gln administration inhibits the rewarding properties of morphine and attenuates morphine tolerance, dependence and withdrawal although it does not interfere with morphine analgesia. In an earlier study, we found that Gly-Gln inhibits morphine-induced dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), consistent with its ability to inhibit morphine reward. To further investigate the mechanism responsible for its central effects we tested whether i.c.v. Gly-Gln administration influences the rise in extracellular serotonin and GABA concentrations evoked by morphine in the NAc. Conscious rats were treated with Gly-Gln (100 nmol/5 mu l) or saline i.c.v. followed, 2 min later, by morphine (2.5 mg/kg) or saline i.p. and extracellular serotonin and GABA concentrations were analyzed by microdialysis and HPLC. Morphine administration increased extracellular serotonin and GABA concentrations significantly within 20 min, as shown previously. Unexpectedly, Gly-Gln also increased extracellular serotonin concentrations significantly in control animals. Combined treatment with Gly-Gln + morphine also elevated extracellular serotonin concentrations although the magnitude of the response did not differ significantly from the effect of Gly-Gln or morphine, given alone suggesting that Gly-Gin suppressed morphine induced serotonin efflux. Gly-Gln abolished the morphine-induced rise in extracellular GABA concentrations but had no effect on extracellular GABA when given alone to otherwise untreated animals. These data show that Gly-Gln stimulates NAc serotonin efflux and, together with earlier studies, support the hypothesis that Gly-Gln inhibits the rewarding effects of morphine by modulating morphine induced dopamine, GABA and serotonin efflux in the NAc.

Altres ajuts: This study was funded by the European Commission (Drugs Policy Initiatives, Justice Programme 2014-2020, contract no. HOME/2014/JDRU/AG/DRUG/7082, Predicting Risk of Emerging Drugs With In Silico and Clinical Toxicology, PREDICT project). Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are a class of new psychoactive substances that have been rapidly evolving around the world throughout recent years. Many different synthetic cannabinoid analogues are on the consumer market and sold under misleading names, like "spice" or "incense." A limited number of studies have reported serious health effects associated with SC use. In this study, we compared clinical and subclinical psychopathological symptoms associated with SC use and natural cannabis (NC) use. A convenience sample of 367 NC and SC users was recruited online, including four validated psychometric questionnaires: The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Altman Mania Scale (Altman), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). The two groups were compared with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA), chi 2 tests, and logistic regression when appropriate. The SC user group did not differ in age from the NC user group (27.7 years), but contained less females (21% and 30%, respectively). SC users scored higher than NC users on all used psychometric measures, indicating a higher likelihood of drug abuse, sleep problems, (hypo)manic symptoms, and the nine dimensions comprising the BSI, somatization, obsessive-compulsive behavior, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. Odds ratios (95% CI) for the SC user group vs NC user group were, respectively, drug dependence 3.56 (1.77-7.16), (severe) insomnia 5.01 (2.10-11.92), (hypo-)mania 5.18 (2.04-13.14), and BSI psychopathology 5.21 (2.96-9.17). This study shows that SC use is associated with increased mental health symptomatology compared to NC use.

Chronic neuropathic pain may be caused, in part, by loss of inhibition in spinal pain processing pathways due to attenuation of local GABAergic tone. Nociception and nocifensive behaviors are reduced after enhancement of tonically activated extrasynaptic GABA(A)R mediated currents by agonist ligands for δ subunit-containing GABA(A)Rs. However, typical ligands that target δ subunit-containing GABA(A)Rs are limited due to sedative effects at higher doses. We used the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and gp120 models of experimental neuropathic pain to evaluate compound 2–261, a non-benzodiazepine (BZ) site positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of α(4)β(3)δ GABA(A)Rs optimized to be non-sedative by selective activation of β(2/3) subunit-containing GABA(A)Rs over receptor subtypes incorporating β(1) subunits. Similar levels of 2–261 were detected in the brain and plasma following intraperitoneal administration. While systemic 2–261 did not alter sensory thresholds in sham-operated animals, it significantly reversed SNL-induced thermal and tactile hypersensitivity in a GABA(A)R dependent fashion. Intrathecal 2–261 produced conditioned place preference (CPP) and elevated dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens of nerve-injured, but not sham-operated rats. Additionally, systemic pretreatment with 2–261 blocked CPP from spinal clonidine in SNL rats. Moreover, 2–261 reversed thermal hyperalgesia and partially reversed tactile allodynia in the gp120 model of HIV-related neuropathic pain. The effects of 2–261 likely required interaction with the α(4)β(3)δ GABA(A)R since 2–301, a close structural analog of 2–261 with limited extrasynaptic receptor efficacy, was not active. Thus, 2–261 may produce pain relief with diminished side-effects through selective modulation of β(2/3) subunit-containing extrasynaptic GABA(A)Rs.

Acute stress is known to affect the way we process rewards. For example, during, or directly after stress, activity within key brain areas of the reward circuitry is reduced when a reward is presented. Generally, the effects of stress on the brain are time-dependent, changing neural and cognitive processing in the aftermath of stress to aid recovery. Such a dynamic response to stress is important for resilience on the longer term. However, relatively little is known about reward processing during the recovery phase of stress and whether this is changed in individuals at increased risk for stress-related psychopathology.Healthy male individuals (N = 40) and unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients (N = 40) were randomized to either an acute stress task (Trier Social Stress Test) or a no-stress task. Neural responses during reward anticipation and reward feedback (monetary gain or no gain) were examined 50 min later using an fMRI monetary incentive delay task. The ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were used as predefined hypothesis-driven regions of interest.Neural responses following stress differed between controls and siblings during reward feedback (group-stress interaction OFC p = 0.003, ventral striatum p = 0.031), showing increased ventral striatum and OFC responses following stress in healthy controls only. Exploratory analyses revealed that this effect was most pronounced during hit trials (compared to when a reward was omitted), and independent of monetary value. Stress did not affect subsequent reward processing in siblings of schizophrenia patients. We found no significant differences between controls and siblings in ventral striatum and OFC responses during reward anticipation following stress.This study shows that ventral striatum and OFC responses to positive task feedback are increased in the aftermath of stress in healthy male controls, regardless of monetary value. This indicates a dynamic shift from previously reported reduced responses in the striatum and OFC to reward feedback directly after stress to increased responses to both reward and non-reward feedback during the recovery phase of stress. These increased neural responses following stress were absent in siblings of schizophrenia patients. Together, these findings indicate that stress recovery is affected in this at-risk group, particularly in responses to positive feedback following stress.

Frontiers in human neuroscience 13, 190 (2019). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2019.00190, Published by Frontiers Research Foundation, Lausanne

Addiction has been proposed as a ‘reward deficient’ state, which is compensated for with substance use. There is growing evidence of dysregulation in the opioid system, which plays a key role in reward, underpinning addiction. Low levels of endogenous opioids are implicated in vulnerability for developing alcohol dependence (AD) and high mu-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in early abstinence is associated with greater craving. This high MOR availability is proposed to be the target of opioid antagonist medication to prevent relapse. However, changes in endogenous opioid tone in AD are poorly characterised and are important to understand as opioid antagonists do not help everyone with AD. We used [11C]carfentanil, a selective MOR agonist positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand, to investigate endogenous opioid tone in AD for the first time. We recruited 13 abstinent male AD and 15 control participants who underwent two [11C]carfentanil PET scans, one before and one 3 h following a 0.5 mg/kg oral dose of dexamphetamine to measure baseline MOR availability and endogenous opioid release. We found significantly blunted dexamphetamine-induced opioid release in 5 out of 10 regions-of-interest including insula, frontal lobe and putamen in AD compared with controls, but no significantly higher MOR availability AD participants compared with HC in any region. This study is comparable to our previous results of blunted dexamphetamine-induced opioid release in gambling disorder, suggesting that this dysregulation in opioid tone is common to both behavioural and substance addictions.

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and exerts this effect partially through the modulation of dopamine release and increasing extracellular dopamine in regions such as the brain reward systems. Nicotine acts in these regions on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The effect of nicotine on the frequency dependent modulation of dopamine release is well established and the purpose of this study was to investigate whether dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) ligands have an influence on this. Using fast cyclic voltammetry and rat corticostriatal slices, we show that D1R ligands are able to modulate the effect of nicotine on dopamine release. Nicotine (500nM) induced a decrease in dopamine efflux at low frequency (single pulse or 5 pulses at 10Hz) and an increase at high frequency (100Hz) electrical field stimulation. The D1R agonist SKF-38393, whilst having no effect on dopamine release on its own or on the effect of nicotine upon multiple pulse evoked dopamine release, did significantly prevent and reverse the effect of nicotine on single pulse dopamine release. Interestingly similar results were obtained with the D1R antagonist SCH-23390. In this study we have demonstrated that the modulation of dopamine release by nicotine can be altered by D1R ligands, but only when evoked by single pulse stimulation, and are likely working via cholinergic interneuron driven dopamine release. Abbott Healthcare Products

Behavioral and neurochemical analysis of ongoing bone cancer pain demonstrating that the intrinsic reward of morphine can be dissociated from the reward of pain relief., Cancer-induced bone pain is described as dull, aching ongoing pain. Ongoing bone cancer pain was characterized after intratibial injection of breast cancer cells in rats. Cancer produced time-dependent bone remodeling and tactile hypersensitivity but no spontaneous flinching. Conditioned place preference (CPP) and enhanced dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell was observed after peripheral nerve block (PNB) selectively in tumor-bearing rats revealing nociceptive-driven ongoing pain. Oral diclofenac reversed tumor-induced tactile hypersensitivity but did not block PNB-induced CPP or NAc DA release. Tumor-induced tactile hypersensitivity, and PNB-induced CPP and NAc DA release, was blocked by prior subcutaneous implantation of a morphine pellet. In sham rats, morphine produced a modest but sustained increase in NAc DA release. In contrast, morphine produced a transient 5-fold higher NAc DA release in tumor bearing rats compared with sham morphine rats. The possibility that this increased NAc DA release reflected the reward of pain relief was tested by irreversible blockade of rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) μ-opioid receptors (MORs). The rACC MOR blockade prevented the morphine-induced transient increased NAc DA release in tumor bearing rats but did not affect morphine-induced effects in sham-operated animals. Consistent with clinical experience, ongoing cancer pain was controlled by morphine but not by a dose of diclofenac that reversed evoked hypersensitivity. Additionally, the intrinsic reward of morphine can be dissociated from the reward of relief of cancer pain by blockade of rACC MOR. This approach allows mechanistic and therapeutic assessment of ongoing cancer pain with likely translation relevance.

Predictive genetic model for levodopa-induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease S.A. Ivanova(1), V.M. Alifirova(2), M.B. Freidin(3), I.V. Pozhidaev(4), O.Y. Fedorenko(4), N.A. Bokhan(4), I.A. Zhukova(5), N.G. Zhukova(5), B. Wilffert(6), A.J.M. Loonen(6) (1)Mental Health Research Institute, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Laboratory, Tomsk, Russia (2)Siberian State Medical University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Tomk, Russia (3)Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk, Russia (4)Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk, Russia (5)Siberian State Medical University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Tomsk, Russia (6)University of Groningen, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Groningen, The Netherlands Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of the dopaminergic input to the basal ganglia, is commonly treated with levodopa (L-DOPA). The use of this drug, however, is severely limited by adverse effects. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is one of these and characterized by involuntary muscle movements that occur as a consequence of chronic levodopa treatment. LID is a substantial barrier to effective symptomatic management of PD as up to 45% of L-DOPA users develop LID within 5 years [1]. Clinical heterogeneity of LID suggests a significant role of endogenous factors in determining their prevalence. Some evidences suggest a relationship between LID and specific genetic variants, such as polymorphisms in the genes controlling enzymes responsible for drug and monoamine metabolism, neurotransmitter receptors and proteins involved in oxidative stress or antioxidant function [2–4]. Objective: To investigate a contribution of polymorphic variants of neurotransmitter receptors and cytochrome genes in the development of LID in PD patients. Methods: A total of 212 PD patients who received L-DOPA therapy were studied. Dyskinesia was assessed by using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). DNA extraction and genotyping were conducted according to standard protocols and blind to the clinical status of the subjects. Genotyping was carried out for 72 SNPs of DRD1, DRD2, DRD2/ANKK1, DRD3, DRD4, HTR2C, HTR3A, HTR3B, HTR6, HTR2A, HTR1A, HTR1B, CYP1A2*1F, CYP2D6*3, CYP2D6*4, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*17, CYP2C19*2, and GSTP1 genes using MassARRAY® Analyzer 4 (Agena Bioscience™) and the set SEQUENOM Consumables iPLEX Gold 384. Discriminant analysis and receiver operating curve (ROC)-analysis were carried out to build a genetic predictive model for dyskinesia. Results: Group of PD patients consists of 149 females and 83 males (age ranging from 40 to 86 years, average age 68.7 ± 7.6 years). The mean age of onset is 60.04 ± 9.46 years, average disease duration is 9.79 ± 5.57 years. Dyskinesia was reported in 57 (26.9%) patients. The best discriminant model was obtained with the following predictors: rs11721264, rs165774, rs3758653, rs4245147, rs6313, rs1364043, rs2734849, rs324035, rs6311, rs11246226 and rs4244285. These polymorphisms are localized in the following genes: DRD3 (rs11721264, rs324035), DRD4 (rs3758653, rs11246226), DRD2 (rs4245147, rs2734849), HTR2A (rs6313, rs6311), HTR1A (rs1364043). The discriminant model using this set of SNPs gives the error of classification about 13% and the AUC 0.795. Depending on the anticipated frequency of LID, positive and negative predictor values varied between 0.745–0.834 and 0.864–0.916, respectively. We hypothesized in our previous studies that the pathological basis of LID might be degeneration of indirect pathway medium spiny neurons [5]. These indirect pathway medium spiny neurons carry type 2 family dopamine receptors (DRD2, DRD3, DRD4), and HTR2A receptors. Moreover, dopamine release may be promoted by inhibiting serotonergic neurotransmission. Hence, the current findings are well in line with this hypothesis. Conclusion: The resulting panel of 11 SNPs provides a sufficiently high accuracy of LID prediction. The use of this panel in a prospective study will clarify the prospects for its application in clinical practice for predicting risk of LID in patients with PD. References [1] Rascol, O., Brooks, D.J., Korczyn, A.D., et al., 2000. Study Group: A five–year study of the incidence of dyskinesia in patients with early Parkinson's disease who were treated with ropinirole or L–DOPA. N Engl J Med 342, 1484–1491. [2] Ivanova, S.A., Fedorenko, O.Yu., Freidin, M.B., et al., 2016. Dissimilar mechanistic background of peripheral and orofacial hyperkinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease and levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Physiology and Pharmacology 19, 216–221. [3] Kaplan, N., Vituri, A., Korczyn, A.D., et al., 2014. Sequence variants in SLC6A3, DRD2, and BDNF genes and time to levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. J Mol Neurosci 53 (2), 183–188. [4] Loonen, A.J.M., Ivanova, S.A., 2016. Role of 5-HT2C receptors in dyskinesia. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 8 (1), 5–10. [5] Loonen, A.J., Ivanova, S.A., 2013. New insights into the mechanism of drug-induced dyskinesia. CNS Spectr 18, 15–20. Keywords: Genetics / Molecular genetics Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia

Recent studies have shown that serotonin2B receptor (5-HT2BR) antagonists exert opposite facilitatory and inhibitory effects on dopamine (DA) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), respectively, thereby leading to the proposal that these compounds could provide an interesting pharmacological tool for treating schizophrenia. Although the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown, several data in the literature suggest that 5-HT1ARs located into the mPFC could participate in this interaction. The present study, using in vivo microdialysis and electrophysiological recordings in rats, assessed this hypothesis by means of two selective 5-HT1AR (WAY 100635) and 5-HT2BR (RS 127445) antagonists. WAY 100635, administered either subcutaneously (0.16 mg/kg, s.c) or locally into the mPFC (0.1 μM), blocked the changes of mPFC and NAc DA release induced by the intraperitoneal administration of RS 127445 (0.16 mg/kg, i.p.). The administration of RS 127445 (0.16 mg/kg, i.p.) increased both dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5-HT neuron firing rate and 5-HT outflow in the mPFC. Likewise, mPFC 5-HT outflow was increased following the intra-DRN injection of RS 127445 (0.032 μg/0.2 μl). Finally, intra-DRN injection of RS 127445 increased and decreased DA outflow in the mPFC and the NAc, respectively, these effects being reversed by the intra-mPFC perfusion of WAY 100635. These results demonstrate the existence of a functional interplay between mPFC 5-HT1ARs and DRN 5-HT2BRs in the control of the DA mesocorticolimbic system, and highlight the clinical interest of this interaction, as both receptors represent an important pharmacological target for the treatment of schizophrenia., This work was supported by grants from the Institut National de la Recherche et de la Santé (INSERM), Bordeaux University, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM and grant SAF2015-68346-P (MINECO-FEDER). C. Devroye was a fellowship recipient from the International Ph.D. program in Neuropharmacology, University of Catania Medical School, Catania, Italy, during the course of this study.

Background.Few studies have investigated the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment for negative symptoms of schizophrenia, reporting inconsistent results. We aimed to investigate whether 10 Hz stimulation of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during 3 weeks enhances treatment effects.Method.A multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial was performed in 32 patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder, and moderate to severe negative symptoms [Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale ⩾15]. Patients were randomized to a 3-week course of active or sham rTMS. Primary outcome was severity of negative symptoms as measured with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the PANSS negative symptom score. Secondary outcome measures included cognition, insight, quality of life and mood. Subjects were followed up at 4 weeks and at 3 months. For analysis of the data a mixed-effects linear model was used.Results.A significant improvement of the SANS in the active group compared with sham up to 3 months follow-up (p = 0.03) was found. The PANSS negative symptom scores did not show a significant change (p = 0.19). Of the cognitive tests, only one showed a significant improvement after rTMS as compared with sham. Finally, a significant change of insight was found with better scores in the treatment group.Conclusions.Bilateral 10 Hz prefrontal rTMS reduced negative symptoms, as measured with the SANS. More studies are needed to investigate optimal parameters for rTMS, the cognitive effects and the neural basis.

Adolf Meyer (1866–1950) did not see schizophrenia as a discrete disorder with a specific etiology but, rather, as a reaction to a wide variety of biopsychosocial factors. He may have been right. Today, we have evidence that gene mutations, brain injury, drug use (cocaine, amphetamine, marijuana, phencyclidine, and steroids), prenatal infection and malnutrition, social isolation and marginalization, can all result in the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. This clinical picture is generally associated with supersensitivity to dopamine, and activates dopamine neurotransmission that is usually alleviated or blocked by drugs that block dopamine D2 receptors. While the dopamine neural pathway may be a final common route to many of the clinical symptoms, the components of this pathway, such as dopamine release and number of D2 receptors, are approximately normal in schizophrenia patients who are in remission. Postmortem findings, however, reveal more dimers of D1D2 and D2D2 receptors in both human schizophrenia brains and in animal models of schizophrenia. Another finding in animal models is an elevation of high-affinity state D2High receptors, but no radioactive ligand is yet available to selectively label D2High receptors in humans. It is suggested that synaptic dopamine supersensitivity in schizophrenia is an attempt at compensation for the original damage by heightening dopamine neurotransmission pathways (preparing the organism for fight or flight). The dopamine overactivity is experienced subjectively as overstimulation, which accounts for some of the clinical symptoms, with attempts at dampening down the stimulation leading to still other symptoms. Reaction and counter-reaction may explain the symptoms of schizophrenia.

The potential of noninvasive neurostimulation by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for improving psychiatric disorders has been studied increasingly over the past two decades. This is especially the case for major depression and for auditory-verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia. The present review briefly describes the background of this novel treatment modality and summarizes evidence from clinical trials into the efficacy of rTMS for depression and hallucinations. Evidence for efficacy in depression is stronger than for hallucinations, although a number of studies have reported clinically relevant improvements for hallucinations too. Different stimulation parameters (frequency, duration, location of stimulation) are discussed. There is a paucity of research into other psychiatric disorders, but initial evidence suggests that rTMS may also hold promise for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can be concluded that rTMS induces alterations in neural networks relevant for psychiatric disorders and that more research is needed to elucidate efficacy and underlying mechanisms of action.

The translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), initially identified as a tumor-and growth-related protein, is also known as a histamine-releasing factor (HRF). TCTP is widely distributed in the neuronal systems, but its function is largely uncharacterized. Here, we report a novel function of TCTP in the neurotransmitter release from a neurosecretory, pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Treatment with recombinant TCTP (rTCTP) enhanced both basal and depolarization (50 mM KCl)-evoked [H-3]dopamine release in concentration-and time-dependent manners. Interestingly, even though rTCTP induced the increase in intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+](i)), the rTCTP-driven effect on dopamine release was mediated by a Ca2+-independent pathway, as evidenced by the fact that Ca2+-modulating agents such as Ca2+ chelators and a voltage-gated L-type Ca2+-channel blocker did not produce any changes in rTCTP-evoked dopamine release. In a study to investigate the involvement of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) in rTCTP-induced dopamine release, the inhibitor for Ca2+-independent PLA(2) (iPLA(2)) produced a significant inhibitory effect on rTCTP-induced dopamine release, whereas this release was not significantly inhibited by Ca2+-dependent cytosolic PLA(2) (cPLA(2)) and secretory PLA(2) (sPLA(2)) inhibitors. We found that rTCTP-induced dopamine release from neuronal PC12 cells was modulated by a Ca2+-independent mechanism that involved PLA(2) in the process, suggesting the regulatory role of TCTP in the neuronal functions.

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) is currently accepted as an evidence-based treatment option for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Additionally, HF-rTMS showed beneficial effects on psychomotor retardation in patients. The classical HF-rTMS paradigms however are unlikely to replace electroconvulsive therapy, a more potent alternative for TRD albeit with important side-effects. Therefore, recent studies have investigated 'accelerated' HF-rTMS protocols demonstrating promising clinical responses in patients with TRD. Since the neuronal effects of accelerated HF-rTMS are underinvestigated, we evaluate here the possible metabolic and neurochemical effects of this treatment alternative. More specifically, we measured the effect on brain glucose metabolism and monoamines/metabolites, as well as on the spontaneous motor activity in rats. We found that brain glucose metabolism and monoamines remained generally unaffected after accelerated HF-rTMS, with the exception of reduced total striatal 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (a metabolite of serotonin) levels. Interestingly, when compared to sham stimulation, the velocity, the total distance traveled as well as the percentage of movement, as measured by the open-field test, were significantly enhanced after accelerated HF-rTMS showing an increased motor activity. Our current results indicate that the accelerated HF-rTMS-induced increase in motor activity in rats, may be related to the striatal neurochemical effect. (C) 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been documented to influence striatal and orbitofrontal dopaminergic activity implicated in reward processing. However, the exact neuropsychological mechanisms of how DLPFC stimulation may affect the reward system and how trait hedonic capacity may interact with the effects remains to be elucidated. Objective: In this sham-controlled study in healthy individuals, we investigated the effects of a single session of neuronavigated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on reward responsiveness, as well as the influence of trait hedonic capacity. Methods: We used a randomized crossover single session iTBS design with an interval of 1 week. We assessed reward responsiveness using a rewarded probabilistic learning task and measured individual trait hedonic capacity (the ability to experience pleasure) with the temporal experience of pleasure scale questionnaire. Results: As expected, the participants developed a response bias towards the most rewarded stimulus (rich stimulus). Reaction time and accuracy for the rich stimulus were respectively shorter and higher as compared to the less rewarded stimulus (lean stimulus). Active or sham stimulation did not seem to influence the outcome. However, when taking into account individual trait hedonic capacity, we found an early significant increase in the response bias only after active iTBS. The higher the individuals trait hedonic capacity, the more the response bias towards the rich stimulus increased after the active stimulation. Conclusion: When taking into account trait hedonic capacity, one active iTBS session over the left DLPFC improved reward responsiveness in healthy male participants with higher hedonic capacity. This suggests that individual differences in hedonic capacity may influence the effects of iTBS on the reward system.

Transplantation of dopaminergic (DA) neurons is considered to be the most promising therapeutic strategy for replacing degenerated dopamine cells in the midbrain of Parkinson's disease (PD), thereby restoring normal neural circuit function and slow clinical progression of the disease. Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) derived from fetal forebrain are thought to be the important cell sources for producing DA neurons because of their multipotency for differentiation and long-term expansion property in cultures. However, low DA differentiation of the forebrain-derived hNSCs limited their therapeutic potential in PD. In the current study, we explored a combined application of Pramipexole (PRX), bone morphogenetic proteins 7 (BMP-7), and growth factors, including acidic fibroblast factor (aFGF), forskolin, and phorbol-12-myristae-13-acetate (TPA), to induce differentiation of forebrain-derived hNSCs toward DA neurons in cultures. We found that DA neuron-associated genes, including Nurr1, Neurogenin2 (Ngn2), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were significantly increased after 24 h of differentiation by RT-PCR analysis (p < 0.01). Fluorescent examination showed that about 25% of cells became TH-positive neurons at 24 h, about 5% of cells became VMAT2 (vascular monoamine transporter 2)-positive neurons, and less than 5% of cells became DAT (dopamine transporter)-positive neurons at 72 h following differentiation in cultures. Importantly, these TH-, VMAT2-, and DAT-expressing neurons were able to release dopamine into cultures under both of the basal and evoked conditions. Dopamine levels released by DA neurons produced using our protocol were significantly higher compared to the control groups (P < 0.01), as examined by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that the combination of PRX, BMP-7, and growth factors was able to greatly promote differentiation of the forebrain-derived hNSCs into DA-releasing neurons.

The effects of aripiprazole, (-)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine ((-)-3-PPP) and quinpirole on single and multiple pulse stimulated dopamine release were investigated using the technique of fast cyclic voltammetry (FCV) in isolated rat striatal slices. Aripiprazole and (-)-3-PPP had no significant effect on single pulse dopamine release at concentrations from 10nM to 10mM indicating low agonist activity. The compounds failed to potentiate 5 pulse stimulated release of dopamine although inhibitory effects were seen at 10 mM for aripiprazole. Both compounds were tested against the concentration-response curve for quinpirole¿s inhibition of stimulated single pulse dopamine release. Aripiprazole and (-)-3-PPP shifted the concentration-response curve for quinpirole to the right. In each case this was a greater than a 100-fold shift for the 10 mM test compound. Whilst these results indicate that both compounds show little agonist activity on dopamine release and significant antagonism of the inhibitory effect of quinpirole on dopamine release, whether they are functionally selective dopamine D2 ligands remains controversial. AMS

Cannabis use has been found to increase the risk of psychosis. It is unclear whether, after a first psychotic episode has occurred, continued cannabis use is associated with poor functional outcome of psychosis.As part of a randomized, open-label, controlled trial, the association of cannabis use and measures for psychopathology and social role functioning after 2 years of follow-up and for the recently proposed outcome measures of symptomatic remission, functional remission, and clinical recovery was explored in a group of 124 patients suffering from nonaffective first-episode psychosis (diagnosed according to DSM-IV and included from a catchment area in the Netherlands of 3.1 million inhabitants from October 2001 through December 2002). Other patient characteristics that were expected to be independently associated with outcome, among them alcohol and other drug use, were assessed at baseline.Continued cannabis use was not associated with symptomatic or functional remission or clinical recovery. After 2 years, cannabis use was related to certain aspects of social role functioning (economic and social activities; explained variance 5.6% and 8.4%, respectively) but not to psychopathology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Positive, Negative, or General symptoms).Our findings support the notion that continued cannabis use after the onset of a first-episode psychosis is correlated with worse social outcome and should be discouraged whenever possible, but its role in outcome is modest in comparison to other factors.Nederlands Trial Register: http://www.trialregister.nl (ID: NTR 374).

Rationale Disturbed reward processing in humans has been associated with a number of disorders, such as depression, addiction, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been implicated in reward processing in animals, but in humans, the relation between eCB functioning and reward is less clear. Objectives The current study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the role of the eCB system in reward processing in humans by examining the effect of the eCB agonist Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on reward-related brain activity. Methods Eleven healthy males participated in a randomized placebo-controlled pharmacological fMRI study with administration of THC to challenge the eCB system. We compared anticipatory and feedback-related brain activity after placebo and THC, using a monetary incentive delay task. In this task, subjects are notified before each trial whether a correct response is rewarded (“reward trial”) or not (“neutral trial”). Results Subjects showed faster reaction times during reward trials compared to neutral trials, and this effect was not altered by THC. THC induced a widespread attenuation of the brain response to feedback in reward trials but not in neutral trials. Anticipatory brain activity was not affected. Conclusions These results suggest a role for the eCB system in the appreciation of rewards. The involvement of the eCB system in feedback processing may be relevant for disorders in which appreciation of natural rewards may be affected such as addiction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00213-011-2428-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Context: Individual differences in cannabis sensitivity may be associated with genetic risk for psychotic disorder. Objectives: To demonstrate and replicate, using 2 conceptually different genetic epidemiological designs, that (familial) liability to psychosis is associated with sensitivity to cannabis. Design, Setting, and Participants: Sibling-control and cross-sibling comparisons using samples of patients with a psychotic disorder (n=1120), their siblings (n=1057), and community controls (n=590) in the Netherlands and Flanders. Main Outcome Measures: Positive and negative schizotypy using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (for siblings and controls) and self-reported positive and negative psychotic experiences using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (for siblings and patients). Cannabis use was assessed as current use (by urinalysis) and lifetime frequency of use (by Composite International Diagnostic Interview). Results: In the sibling-control comparison, siblings displayed more than 15 times greater sensitivity to positive schizotypy associated with particularly current cannabis use by urinalysis (adjusted B=0.197, P

Benefit and motor side effects of l-DOPA in Parkinson's disease have been related to dopamine transmission in the striatum. However, the putative involvement of serotonergic neurons in the dopaminergic effects of l-DOPA suggests that the striatum is not a preferential target of l-DOPA. By using microdialysis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease, we found that l-DOPA (3-100 mg/kg) increased dopamine extracellular levels monitored simultaneously in four brain regions receiving serotonergic innervation: striatum, substantia nigra, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex. The increase was regionally similar at the lowest dose and 2-3 times stronger in the striatum at higher doses. Citalopram, a serotonin reuptake blocker, or the destruction of serotonergic fibers by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine impaired l-DOPA-induced dopamine release in all regions. These data demonstrate that l-DOPA induces an ectopic release of dopamine due to serotonergic neurons. The new pattern of dopamine transmission created by l-DOPA may contribute to the benefit and side effects of l-DOPA.

The existence of pre-synaptic auto- and hetero receptors which modulate neurotransmitter release is well documented. Emerging evidence show that in some cases these pre-synaptic receptors may also cross-talk with each other. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and dopamine (DA) autoreceptors, which are both able to modulate DA release, functionally interact on the same nerve endings. We used rat and mouse nucleus accumbens synaptosomes pre-labeled with [(3)H]DA and exposed to nicotinic and dopaminergic receptor ligands. Both nicotinic agonists and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) provoked [(3)H]DA release which was inhibited by quinpirole and blocked by sulpiride and raclopride. Both the inhibitory effect of quinpirole and the stimulatory effect of (-)nicotine did not change when the nAChRs or the DA receptors were desensitized. (-)Nicotine and 4-AP were able to stimulate [(3)H]DA overflow also in mouse synaptosomes and this overflow was partially inhibited by quinpirole. In the beta(2) knockout mice quinpirole was still able to inhibit the [(3)H]DA overflow elicited by 4-AP. To conclude: in rat and mouse the (-)nicotine evoked-release can be modulated by D(2)/D(3) autoreceptors present on the DA terminals and nAChRs function is independent from D(2)/D(3) autoreceptors which themselves may function independently from the activation of nAChRs.

Endogenous analogues of capsaicin, N -acyldopamines, were previously identified from striatal extracts, but the putative presynaptic role of their receptor, the TRPV 1 R (formerly: vanilloid or capsaicin receptor) in the caudate–putamen is unclear. We found that the endogenous TRPV 1 R agonists, N -arachidonoyldopamine (NADA) and oleoyldopamine (OLDA) with EC 50 values in the nanomolar range, as well as the synthetic TRPV 1 R activator 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane (2APB), and palmytoyldopamine (PALDA, another endogenous N -acyldopamine inactive at the TRPV 1 R), but not capsaicin or other endogenous and synthetic cannabinoids, triggered a rapid Ca 2+ entry with the concomitant stimulation of glutamate and dopamine release. These effects persisted in the TRPV 1 R null-mutant mice, and were insensitive to antagonists of common ionotropic receptors, to several TRPV 1 R antagonists and to the absence of K + . Furthermore, these N -acyldopamine receptors in glutamatergic and dopaminergic terminals are different based on their different sensitivity to anandamide, capsazepine and Gd 3+ at nanomolar concentrations. Altogether, novel ion channels instead of the TRPV 1 R mediate the presynaptic action of N -acyldopamines in the striatum of adult rodents.

Purpose To study striatal dopamine D-2 receptor availability in DYT11 mutation carriers of the autosomal dominantly inherited disorder myoclonus-dystonia (M-D).Methods Fifteen DYT11 mutation carriers ( 11 clinically affected) and 15 age- and sex-matched controls were studied using I-123-IBZM SPECT. Specific striatal binding ratios were calculated using standard templates for striatum and occipital areas.Results Multivariate analysis with corrections for ageing and smoking showed significantly lower specific striatal to occipital IBZM uptake ratios (SORs) both in the left and right striatum in clinically affected patients and also in all DYT11 mutation carriers compared to control subjects.Conclusions Our findings are consistent with the theory of reduced dopamine D-2 receptor (D2R) availability in dystonia, although the possibility of increased endogenous dopamine, and consequently, competitive D2R occupancy cannot be ruled out.

In humans, serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in numerous physiological and pathological processes in the peripheral auditory system. Dopamine (DA), another transmitter of the lateral olivocochlear (LOC) efferents making synapses on cochlear nerve dendrites, controls auditory nerve activation and protects the sensory nerve against overactivation. Using in vitro microvolume superfusion techniques we tested 5-HT(6) and 5-HT(7) receptor antagonists whether they can influence dopamine (DA) release from the guinea-pig cochlea in control and in ischemic conditions using currently available and new 5-HT(6) and 5-HT(7) antagonists and mixed antagonists, which were synthesized and characterized for the current study. While the 5-HT(7) antagonist SB-258719 was ineffective, SB-271046, which blocks the 5-HT(6) receptor, caused a significant increase in cochlear DA release what is contradictory with the excitatory nature of this type of receptor. Moreover, the mixed 5-HT(6/7) antagonist EGIS-12233 induced an even more pronounced increase in the resting DA release. To understand why the block of an excitatory receptor results in an increase instead of a decrease in function, we investigated the possible involvement of an indirect neural mechanism through an inhibitory system. In the presence of the GABA(A) receptor blocker bicuculline, EGIS-12233 failed to increase the release of DA, suggesting that the serotonin receptor modulation of DA release from the lateral olivocochlear efferents in the cochlea was produced indirectly by decreasing the GABAergic inhibitory tone on dopaminergic nerve endings. The mixed 5-HT(7)/D(4) receptor antagonist EGIS-11983 significantly increased both the stimulation-evoked and the resting DA release, while the selective D4 blocker L-741,741 alone had no significant effect. Ischemia, simulated by oxygen and glucose deprivation from the perfusion solution had no action on the effect of the drugs. Drugs that can increase the release of DA from LOC terminals in the cochlea may have a role in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.

The nonselective opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone is now used for the treatment of alcoholism, yet naltrexone׳s central mechanism of action remains poorly understood. One line of evidence suggests that opioid antagonists regulate alcohol drinking through interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Hence, our goal here was to examine the role of the nucleus accumbens connectivity in alcohol reinforcement and naltrexone׳s actions using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). Following long-term free-choice drinking of alcohol and water, AA (Alko Alcohol) rats received injections of MnCl2 into the nucleus accumbens for activity-dependent tracing of accumbal connections. Immediately after the accumbal injections, rats were imaged using MEMRI, and then allowed to drink either alcohol or water for the next 24 h. Naltrexone was administered prior to the active dark period, and the second MEMRI was performed 24 h after the first scan. Comparison of signal intensity at 1 and 24 h after accumbal MnCl2 injections revealed an ipsilateral continuum through the ventral pallidum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, globus pallidus, and lateral hypothalamus to the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. Activation was also seen in the rostral part of the insular cortex and regions of the prefrontal cortex. Alcohol drinking resulted in enhanced activation of these connections, whereas naltrexone suppressed alcohol-induced activity. These data support the involvement of the accumbal connections in alcohol reinforcement and mediation of naltrexone׳s suppressive effects on alcohol drinking through their deactivation., Funding for this study was received under the ERA-Net NEURON framework with grants given to the project “Translational Neuroimaging in Alcoholism” (TRANSALC) by the Academy of Finland (TRANSALC 01EW1112), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (FKZ01EW1112) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PIM2010ERN-00679). Additional grants were provided by the Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies (27112012).

The treatment of depression may be improved by using an augmentation approach involving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in combination with compounds that focus on antagonism of inhibitory serotonin receptors. Using microdialysis coupled to HPLC, it has recently been shown that the systemic co-administration of 5-HT(2C) antagonists with SSRIs augmented the acute effect of SSRIs on extracellular 5-HT. In this paper, we have investigated the mechanism through which this augmentation occurs. The increase in extracellular 5-HT was not observed when both compounds were locally infused. However, varying the route of administration for both compounds differentially revealed that an augmentation took place when the 5-HT(2C) antagonist was locally infused into ventral hippocampus and the SSRI given systemically, but not when systemic 5-HT(2C) antagonist was co-administered with the local infusion of citalopram. This suggests that the release of extracellular serotonin in ventral hippocampus may be controlled by (an)other brain area(s). As 5-HT(2C) receptors are not considered to be autoreceptors, this would implicate that other neurotransmitter systems are involved in this process. To investigate which neurotransmitter systems were involved in the interaction, systemic citalopram was challenged with several glutamatergic, GABA-ergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic compounds to determine their effects on serotonin release in ventral hippocampus. It was determined that the involvement of glutamate, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the augmentation did not seem likely, whereas evidence implicated a role for the GABA-ergic system in the augmentation.