Effects of Single and Dual Hypocretin-receptor Blockade or Knockdown of Hypocretin Amygdalar Projections on Alcohol Drinking in Dependent Male Rats

Authors' Affiliations

Gabriel Aldridge, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Tyler Zarin, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Adam Brandner, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD Olivier George, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA Nicholas Gilpin, Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA Vez Repunte-Canonigo, Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA Pietro Sanna, Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA George Koob, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD Leandro Vendruscolo, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD Brooke Schmeichel, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

Location

Culp Ballroom

Start Date

4-7-2022 9:00 AM

End Date

4-7-2022 12:00 PM

Poster Number

88

Faculty Sponsor’s Department

Biomedical Sciences

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Brooke Schmeichel

Additional Sponsors

Cerrone Foster, Patrick Bradshaw

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Master’s

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Project's Category

Neuroscience

Abstract or Artist's Statement

Hypocretin/Orexin (HCRT) is a neuropeptide that is associated with both stress and reward systems in humans and rodents. The different contributions of signaling at hypocretin-receptor 1 (HCRT-R1) and hypocretin-receptor 2 (HCRT-R2) to compulsive alcohol drinking are not yet fully understood. Thus, the current studies used pharmacological and viral-mediated targeting of HCRT to determine participation in compulsive alcohol drinking and measured HCRT-receptor mRNA expression in the extended amygdala of both alcohol-dependent and non-dependent male rats. Rats were made dependent through chronic intermittent exposure to alcohol vapor and were tested for the acute effect of HCRT-R1-selective (SB-408124; SB-R1), HCRT-R2-selective (NBI-80713; NB-R2), or dual HCRT-R1/2 (NBI-87571; NB-R1/2) antagonism on alcohol intake. NB-R2 and NB-R1/2 antagonists each dose-dependently decreased overall alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, whereas, SB-R1 decreased alcohol drinking in both alcohol-dependent and non-dependent rats at the highest dose (30 mg/kg). SB-R1, NB-R2, and NB-R1/2 treatment did not significantly affect water drinking in either alcohol-dependent or non-dependent rats. Additional PCR analyses revealed a significant decrease in Hcrtr1 mRNA expression within the central amygdala (CeA) of dependent rats under acute withdrawal conditions compared to nondependent rats. Lastly, a shRNA-encoding adeno-associated viral vector with retrograde function was used to knockdown HCRT in CeA-projecting neurons from the lateral hypothalamus (LH). LH-CeA HCRT knockdown significantly attenuated alcohol self-administration in alcohol-dependent rats. These observations suggest that HCRT signaling in the CeA is necessary for alcohol-seeking behavior during dependence. Together, these data highlight a role for both HCRT-R1 and -R2 in dependent alcohol-seeking behavior.

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Apr 7th, 9:00 AM Apr 7th, 12:00 PM

Effects of Single and Dual Hypocretin-receptor Blockade or Knockdown of Hypocretin Amygdalar Projections on Alcohol Drinking in Dependent Male Rats

Culp Ballroom

Hypocretin/Orexin (HCRT) is a neuropeptide that is associated with both stress and reward systems in humans and rodents. The different contributions of signaling at hypocretin-receptor 1 (HCRT-R1) and hypocretin-receptor 2 (HCRT-R2) to compulsive alcohol drinking are not yet fully understood. Thus, the current studies used pharmacological and viral-mediated targeting of HCRT to determine participation in compulsive alcohol drinking and measured HCRT-receptor mRNA expression in the extended amygdala of both alcohol-dependent and non-dependent male rats. Rats were made dependent through chronic intermittent exposure to alcohol vapor and were tested for the acute effect of HCRT-R1-selective (SB-408124; SB-R1), HCRT-R2-selective (NBI-80713; NB-R2), or dual HCRT-R1/2 (NBI-87571; NB-R1/2) antagonism on alcohol intake. NB-R2 and NB-R1/2 antagonists each dose-dependently decreased overall alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, whereas, SB-R1 decreased alcohol drinking in both alcohol-dependent and non-dependent rats at the highest dose (30 mg/kg). SB-R1, NB-R2, and NB-R1/2 treatment did not significantly affect water drinking in either alcohol-dependent or non-dependent rats. Additional PCR analyses revealed a significant decrease in Hcrtr1 mRNA expression within the central amygdala (CeA) of dependent rats under acute withdrawal conditions compared to nondependent rats. Lastly, a shRNA-encoding adeno-associated viral vector with retrograde function was used to knockdown HCRT in CeA-projecting neurons from the lateral hypothalamus (LH). LH-CeA HCRT knockdown significantly attenuated alcohol self-administration in alcohol-dependent rats. These observations suggest that HCRT signaling in the CeA is necessary for alcohol-seeking behavior during dependence. Together, these data highlight a role for both HCRT-R1 and -R2 in dependent alcohol-seeking behavior.