Investigating the Potential Influence of Cause of Death and Cocaine Levels on the Differential Expression of Genes Associated with Cocaine Abuse

The development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of complex brain disorders such as drug addiction is likely to be advanced by a more complete understanding of the underlying molecular pathophysiology. Although the study of postmortem human brain represents a unique resource in this regard, it can be challenging to disentangle the relative contribution of chronic pathological processes versus perimortem events to the observed changes in gene expression. To begin to unravel this issue, we analyzed by quantitative PCR the midbrain expression of numerous candidate genes previously associated with cocaine abuse. Data obtained from chronic cocaine abusers (and matched control subjects) dying of gunshot wounds were compared with a prior study of subjects with deaths directly attributable to cocaine abuse. Most of the genes studied (i.e., tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine transporter, forkhead box A2, histone variant H3 family 3B, nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha, growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible beta) were found to be differentially expressed in chronic cocaine abusers irrespective of immediate cause of death or perimortem levels of cocaine, suggesting that these may represent core pathophysiological changes arising with chronic drug abuse. On the other hand, chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 and jun proto-oncogene expression were unaffected in cocaine-abusing subjects dying of gunshot wounds, in contrast to the differential expression previously reported in cocaine-related fatalities. The possible influence of cause of death and other factors on the cocaine-responsiveness of these genes is discussed.     

Expression of glutamatergic genes in healthy humans across 16 brain regions; altered expression in the hippocampus after chronic exposure to alcohol or cocaine

We analyzed global patterns of expression in genes related to glutamatergic neurotransmission (glutamatergic genes) in healthy human adult brain before determining the effects of chronic alcohol and cocaine exposure on gene expression in the hippocampus. RNA‐Seq data from ‘BrainSpan’ was obtained across 16 brain regions from nine control adults. We also generated RNA‐Seq data from postmortem hippocampus from eight alcoholics, eight cocaine addicts and eight controls. Expression analyses were undertaken of 28 genes encoding glutamate ionotropic (AMPA, kainate, NMDA) and metabotropic receptor subunits, together with glutamate transporters. The expression of each gene was fairly consistent across the brain with the exception of the cerebellum, the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus and the striatum. GRIN1, encoding the essential NMDA subunit, had the highest expression across all brain regions. Six factors accounted for 84% of the variance in global gene expression. GRIN2B (encoding GluN2B), was up‐regulated in both alcoholics and cocaine addicts (FDR corrected P = 0.008). Alcoholics showed up‐regulation of three genes relative to controls and cocaine addicts: GRIA4 (encoding GluA4), GRIK3 (GluR7) and GRM4 (mGluR4). Expression of both GRM3 (mGluR3) and GRIN2D (GluN2D) was up‐regulated in alcoholics and down‐regulated in cocaine addicts relative to controls. Glutamatergic genes are moderately to highly expressed throughout the brain. Six factors explain nearly all the variance in global gene expression. At least in the hippocampus, chronic alcohol use largely up‐regulates glutamatergic genes. The NMDA GluN2B receptor subunit might be implicated in a common pathway to addiction, possibly in conjunction with the GABAB1 receptor subunit.     

Role of opioid antagonists in treating intravenous cocaine abuse

Intravenous cocaine abuse is a major probel in opioid abusers including those treated in methadone maintenance. Studying 138 opioid addicts, we found that speedballing by combining opioid agonists with cocaine may be blocked by opioid antagonists such as naltrexone and by partial antagonists such as buprenorphine. With both these treatments cocaine abuse was five to eight times less than with methadone treatment.     

Catecholamine and MHPG plasma levels,platelet MAO activity,and3H-imipramine binding in heroin and cocaine addicts

This work evaluated in a population of heroin and heroin plus cocaine human addicts:

1. Norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (Epi), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) (the principal metabolite of brain NE) plasma levels;
2. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity; and
3. ³H-imipramine specific binding to the amine carrier in platelets.

NE plasma levels were significantly lower in the short-term heroin user groups (1–3 and 4–6 yr), a finding not observed in both the long-term heroin user (>6 yr) and heroin plus cocaine user (>6 yr) groups. Epi levels changed in a similar manner, except that a significant increase was noted in heroin plus cocaine abusers. Conversely, dopamine and MHPG plasma levels increased with the duration of heroin use, and even more with cocaine abuse. Platelet MAO activity increased in all groups. Specific³H-imipramine binding sites showed an increase after 3 yr of heroin abuse and in all heroin plus cocaine addicts. In conclusion, short-term use of heroin decreases NE or Epi release, but with prolonged use, a slow adpatation occurs. In contrast, cocaine inhibits the neuronal Epi uptake, even in a situation of long duration of abuse. Probably the amine levels additionally regulate the amine carrier, resulting in changes that show a different pattern from major depression. These drugs of abuse may also influence directly or indirectly related enzymatic systems.     

Abnormal brain activation to visual stimulation in cocaine abusers

Chronic cocaine abuse has been associated with cerebrovascular pathology. This is likely to reflect its vasoactive effects; cocaine produces vasoconstriction and reduces cerebral blood flow. We propose that cerebrovascular pathology in chronic cocaine abusers would result in abnormal BOLD [blood oxygenation level dependent] responses to activation stimuli. Here, we used fMRI to compared the BOLD response to photic visual stimulation in neurologically intact active cocaine abusers to that in non-drug-using healthy controls. Cocaine abusers showed a significantly enhanced positive BOLD response to photic stimulation when compared to control subjects. The enhanced activation in the cocaine abusers could result from low resting cerebral blood flow secondary to increased vasoconstriction and/or from low oxidative metabolism during activation. Alternatively, the larger signal intensity in the cocaine abusers could result from inefficient neuronal processing as has been shown to occur in other conditions of cerebral pathology. These findings provide evidence of cerebral dysfunction with chronic cocaine abuse, which could reflect cerebral blood flow or neuronal changes. Further studies are required to determine if the cerebrovascular changes we observed in the cocaine abusers recover with detoxification and to assess their functional consequences.     

Changes in microRNA expression profile in hippocampus during the acquisition and extinction of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in rats

Background

MicroRNA (miRNA) emerges as important player in drug abuse. Yet, their expression profile in neurological disorder of cocaine abuse has not been well characterized. Here, we explored the changes of miRNA expression in rat hippocampus following repeated cocaine exposure and subsequent abstinence from cocaine treatment.

Results

Conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure was used to assess the acquisition and extinction of cocaine-seeking behavior in rats. MiRNA microarray was performed to examine miRNAs levels in rat hippocampus. Quantitative RT-PCR was conducted to further confirm results in microarray study. Finally, bioinformatic predictions were made to suggest potential target genes of cocaine-responsive miRNA in this study. MiRNA array found that 34 miRNA levels were changed in rat hippocampus while acquiring cocaine CPP and 42 miRNAs levels were altered after the cocaine-induced CPP were extinguished, as compared to normal controls. The findings from qRT-PCR study support results from microarray analysis.

Conclusions

The current study demonstrated dynamic changes in miRNA expression in rat hippocampus during the acquisition and extinction of cocaine-induced CPP. Some miRNAs which have been previously reported to be involved in brain disorders and drug abuse, including miR-133b, miR-134, miR-181c, miR-191, miR-22, miR-26b, miR-382, miR-409-3p and miR-504, were found to be changed in their expression following repeated cocaine exposure and subsequent abstinence from cocaine treatment. These findings may extend our understanding of the regulatory network underlying cocaine abuse and may provide new targets for the future treatment of drug abuse.     

microRNA-Seq reveals cocaine-regulated expression of striatal microRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that modulate gene expression by binding target mRNAs. The hundreds of miRNAs expressed in the brain are critical for synaptic development and plasticity. Drugs of abuse cause lasting changes in the limbic regions of the brain that process reward, and addiction is viewed as a form of aberrant neuroplasticity. Using next-generation sequencing, we cataloged miRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens and at striatal synapses in control and chronically cocaine-treated mice. We identified cocaine-responsive miRNAs, synaptically enriched and depleted miRNA families, and confirmed cocaine-induced changes in protein expression for several predicted synaptic target genes. The miR-8 family, known for its roles in cancer, is highly enriched and cocaine regulated at striatal synapses, where its members may affect expression of cell adhesion molecules. Synaptically enriched cocaine-regulated miRNAs may contribute to long-lasting drug-induced plasticity through fine-tuning regulatory pathways that modulate the actin cytoskeleton, neurotransmitter metabolism, and peptide hormone processing.     

RECK‐mediated inhibition of glioma migration and invasion

RECK is an anti‐tumoral gene whose activity has been associated with its inhibitory effects regulating MMP‐2, MMP‐9, and MT1‐MMP. RECK level decreases as gliobastoma progresses, varying from less invasive grade II gliomas to very invasive human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Since RECK expression and glioma invasiveness show an inverse correlation, the aim of the present study is to investigate whether RECK expression would inhibit glioma invasive behavior. We conducted this study to explore forced RECK expression in the highly invasive T98G human GBM cell line. Expression levels as well as protein levels of RECK, MMP‐2, MMP‐9, and MT1‐MMP were assessed by qPCR and immunoblotting in T98G/RECK+ cells. The invasion and migration capacity of RECK+ cells was inhibited in transwell and wound assays. Dramatic cytoskeleton modifications were observed in the T98G/RECK+ cells, when compared to control cells, such as the abundance of stress fibers (contractile actin–myosin II bundles) and alteration of lamellipodia. T98G/RECK+ cells also displayed phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (P‐FAK) in mature focal adhesions associated with stress fibers; whereas P‐FAK in control cells was mostly associated with immature focal complexes. Interestingly, the RECK protein was predominantly localized at the leading edge of migrating cells, associated with membrane ruffles. Unexpectedly, introduced expression of RECK effectively inhibited the invasive process through rearrangement of actin filaments, promoting a decrease in migratory ability. This work has associated RECK tumor‐suppressing activity with the inhibition of motility and invasion in this GBM model, which are two glioma characteristics responsible for the inefficiency of current available treatments. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 52–61, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Synapse Density and Dendritic Complexity Are Reduced in the Prefrontal Cortex following Seven Days of Forced Abstinence from Cocaine Self-Administration

Chronic cocaine exposure in both human addicts and in rodent models of addiction reduces prefrontal cortical activity, which subsequently dysregulates reward processing and higher order executive function. The net effect of this impaired gating of behavior is enhanced vulnerability to relapse. Previously we have shown that cocaine-induced increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a neuroadaptive mechanism that blunts the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine. As BDNF is known to affect neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity, we tested the hypothesis that abstinence from cocaine self-administration would lead to alterations in neuronal morphology and synaptic density in the PFC. Using a novel technique, array tomography and Golgi staining, morphological changes in the rat PFC were analyzed following 14 days of cocaine self-administration and 7 days of forced abstinence. Our results indicate that overall dendritic branching and total synaptic density are significantly reduced in the rat PFC. In contrast, the density of thin dendritic spines are significantly increased on layer V pyramidal neurons of the PFC. These findings indicate that dynamic structural changes occur during cocaine abstinence that may contribute to the observed hypo-activity of the PFC in cocaine-addicted individuals.     

Melatonin is Involved in Regulation of the Expression of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Rat Brain

Cell adhesion molecules play a diverse role in neural development, signal transduction, structural linkage to extracellular and intracellular proteins, synaptic stabilization, neurogenesis, and learning. Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily and are involved in synaptic rearrangements in the mature brain. There are three major NCAM isoforms: NCAM 180, NCAM 140, and NCAM 120. Several studies reported that NCAM play a central role in memory formation. We investigated the effects of melatonin on the expression of NCAM in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum of rats. The levels of NCAM isoforms were determined by Western blotting. After administration of melatonin for 7 days, the expression of NCAM 180 increased both in the hippocampus and in the cortex, as compared with the control. In contrast, in rats exposed to constant illumination for 7 days (a procedure that inhibits endogenous production of melatonin), levels of NCAM 180 dropped in the hippocampus and became undetectable in the cortex and cerebellum. Levels of NCAM 140 in the hippocampus of light-exposed rats also decreased. There was no change in the expression of NCAM 120 in any brain region. This is the first report indicating that melatonin exerts a modulatory effect on the expression of NCAM in brain areas related to realization of cognitive functions. Melatonin may be involved in structural remodeling of synaptic connections during memory and learning processes.     

药物成瘾相关的神经结构可塑性改变

不计后果的药物渴求和滥用是药物成瘾的一个显著特征。药物滥用可以诱导行为学和心理学持续性改变的发生,这些持续性改变由相关神经通路(尤其是奖赏系统)神经结构的可塑性变化所引起。本文综述了安非他明、可卡因、尼古丁和吗啡等药物诱发的相关脑区的神经可塑性改变以及引起这些改变的可能原因。药物成瘾诱发的神经结构可塑性改变反映了相关神经系统突触连接的重塑,这些重塑改变该系统的功能,由此便产生了药物滥用的一系列后遗症状———包括成瘾。     

Repeated Cocaine Self-Administration Causes Multiple Changes in Rat Frontal Cortex Gene Expression

Repeated cocaine administration produces changes in gene expression that are thought to contribute to the behavioral alterations observed with cocaine abuse. This study focuses on gene expression changes in the frontal cortex, a component of reinforcement, sensory, associative, and executive circuitries. Changes in frontal cortex gene expression after repeated cocaine self-administration may lead to changes in the behaviors associated with this brain region. Rats self-administered cocaine for 10 days in a continuous access, discrete trial paradigm (averaging 100 mg/kg/day) and were examined for changes in relative frontal cortex mRNA abundance by cDNA hybridization arrays. Among the changes observed following array analysis, increased nerve-growth-factor–induced B (NGFI-B), adenylyl cyclase type VIII (AC VIII), and reduced cysteine-rich protein 2 (CRP2) mRNA were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. These changes share commonalities and exhibit differences with previous reports of gene expression changes in the frontal cortex after noncontingent cocaine administration.     

Differential Regulation of the Period Genes in Striatal Regions following Cocaine Exposure

Several studies have suggested that disruptions in circadian rhythms contribute to the pathophysiology of multiple psychiatric diseases, including drug addiction. In fact, a number of the genes involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms are also involved in modulating the reward value for drugs of abuse, like cocaine. Thus, we wanted to determine the effects of chronic cocaine on the expression of several circadian genes in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) and Caudate Putamen (CP), regions of the brain known to be involved in the behavioral responses to drugs of abuse. Moreover, we wanted to explore the mechanism by which these genes are regulated following cocaine exposure. Here we find that after repeated cocaine exposure, expression of the Period (Per) genes and Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 2 (Npas2) are elevated, in a somewhat regionally selective fashion. Moreover, NPAS2 (but not CLOCK (Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput)) protein binding at Per gene promoters was enhanced following cocaine treatment. Mice lacking a functional Npas2 gene failed to exhibit any induction of Per gene expression after cocaine, suggesting that NPAS2 is necessary for this cocaine-induced regulation. Examination of Per gene and Npas2 expression over twenty-four hours identified changes in diurnal rhythmicity of these genes following chronic cocaine, which were regionally specific. Taken together, these studies point to selective disruptions in Per gene rhythmicity in striatial regions following chronic cocaine treatment, which are mediated primarily by NPAS2.     

The membrane cytoskeletal protein adducin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C in D1 neurons of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum following cocaine administration

Repeated cocaine administration results in persistent changes in synaptic function in the mesolimbic dopamine system that are thought to be critical for the transition to addiction. Cytoskeletal rearrangement and actin dynamics are essential for this drug-dependent plasticity. Cocaine administration increases levels of F-actin in the nucleus accumbens and is associated with changes in the phosphorylation state of actin-binding proteins. The adducins constitute a family of proteins that interact with actin and spectrin to maintain cellular architecture. The interaction of adducin with these cytoskeletal proteins is regulated by phosphorylation, and it is therefore expected that phosphorylation of adducin may be involved in morphological changes underlying synaptic responses to drugs of abuse including cocaine. In the current study, we characterized the regulation of adducin phosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum in response to various regimen of cocaine. Our results demonstrate that adducin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C in medium spiny neurons that express the dopamine D1 receptor. These data indicate that adducin phosphorylation is a signaling event regulated by cocaine administration and further suggest that adducin may be involved in remodeling of the neuronal cytoskeleton in response to cocaine administration.