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1.
Neuropharmacology ; 196: 108718, 2021 09 15.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34273390

Excitatory synaptic transmission in the lateral habenula (LHb), an evolutionarily ancient subcortical structure, encodes aversive stimuli and affective states. Habenular glutamatergic synapses contribute to these processes partly through the activation of AMPA receptors. Yet, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are also expressed in the LHb and support the emergence of depressive symptoms. Indeed, local NMDAR blockade in the LHb rescues anhedonia and behavioral despair in rodent models of depression. However, the subunit composition and biophysical properties of habenular NMDARs remain unknown, thereby hindering their study in the context of mental health. Here, we performed electrophysiological recordings and optogenetic-assisted circuit mapping in mice, to study pharmacologically-isolated NMDAR currents in LHb neurons that receive innervation from different brain regions (entopeduncular nucleus, lateral hypothalamic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, or ventral tegmental area). This systematic approach revealed that habenular NMDAR currents are sensitive to TCN and ifenprodil - drugs that specifically inhibit GluN2A- and GluN2B-containing NMDARs, respectively. Whilst these pharmacological effects were consistently observed across inputs, we detected region-specific differences in the current-voltage relationship and decay time of NMDAR currents. Finally, inspired by the firing of LHb neurons in vivo, we designed a burst protocol capable of eliciting calcium-dependent long-term potentiation of habenular NMDAR transmission ex vivo. Altogether, we define basic biophysical and synaptic properties of NMDARs in LHb neurons, opening new avenues for studying their plasticity processes in physiological as well as pathological contexts.


Habenula/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism , Synapses/metabolism , Animals , Entopeduncular Nucleus , Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/pharmacology , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/drug effects , Habenula/physiology , Hypothalamic Area, Lateral , Long-Term Potentiation/physiology , Mice , Neural Pathways , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/physiology , Optogenetics , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Piperidines/pharmacology , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/physiology , Septal Nuclei , Sulfonamides/pharmacology , Synapses/drug effects , Synapses/physiology , Ventral Tegmental Area
2.
PLoS Biol ; 19(3): e3000709, 2021 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33690628

Daily rhythms are disrupted in patients with mood disorders. The lateral habenula (LHb) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) contribute to circadian timekeeping and regulate mood. Thus, pathophysiology in these nuclei may be responsible for aberrations in daily rhythms during mood disorders. Using the 15-day chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) paradigm and in vitro slice electrophysiology, we measured the effects of stress on diurnal rhythms in firing of LHb cells projecting to the DRN (cellsLHb→DRN) and unlabeled DRN cells. We also performed optogenetic experiments to investigate if increased firing in cellsLHb→DRN during exposure to a weak 7-day social defeat stress (SDS) paradigm induces stress-susceptibility. Last, we investigated whether exposure to CSDS affected the ability of mice to photoentrain to a new light-dark (LD) cycle. The cellsLHb→DRN and unlabeled DRN cells of stress-susceptible mice express greater blunted diurnal firing compared to stress-näive (control) and stress-resilient mice. Daytime optogenetic activation of cellsLHb→DRN during SDS induces stress-susceptibility which shows the direct correlation between increased activity in this circuit and putative mood disorders. Finally, we found that stress-susceptible mice are slower, while stress-resilient mice are faster, at photoentraining to a new LD cycle. Our findings suggest that exposure to strong stressors induces blunted daily rhythms in firing in cellsLHb→DRN, DRN cells and decreases the initial rate of photoentrainment in susceptible-mice. In contrast, resilient-mice may undergo homeostatic adaptations that maintain daily rhythms in firing in cellsLHb→DRN and also show rapid photoentrainment to a new LD cycle.


Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Habenula/physiology , Stress, Psychological/metabolism , Animals , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/drug effects , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/metabolism , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neural Pathways/physiology , Neurons/physiology , Optogenetics/methods , Serotonin/pharmacology , Social Defeat , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology
3.
Exp Neurol ; 339: 113637, 2021 05.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33549547

The lateral habenula (LHb) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are two structures closely connected, and they serve as aversion and reward junction of the brain, respectively. This study investigated whether single neurons in the LHb/VTA respond to both aversion and reward stimuli and how these neurons regulate aversion and reward processing. Using optogenetic combined with multi-channel recording of LHb / VTA neuronal discharge, we found that most single neurons in the LHb/ VTA respond to both aversion and reward stimuli. Interestingly, majority of neurons in LHb were aversion-activated and reward-inhibited neurons, consisting mainly of glutamatergic neurons, while most neurons in VTA were reward-activated and aversion-inhibited neurons, which inhibited by glutamatergic neurons in the LHb. Furthermore, optogenetic activation or inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in LHb and their terminals in VTA could induce aversive or reward behaviors. These results indicate that identical neurons in the LHb and VTA have different responses to reward and aversion stimuli. The aversion behaviors induced by activating LHb glutamatergic neurons may be due to its inhibition on reward-activated neurons in VTA. This study suggests that interplay between the LHb and VTA neurons may play a key role in regulating reward and aversion behaviors.


Avoidance Learning/physiology , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/physiology , Neurons/physiology , Reward , Animals , Female , Male , Mice , Mice, Transgenic
4.
Neuron ; 106(5): 743-758.e5, 2020 06 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32272058

The habenula complex is appreciated as a critical regulator of motivated and pathological behavioral states via its output to midbrain nuclei. Despite this, transcriptional definition of cell populations that comprise both the medial habenular (MHb) and lateral habenular (LHb) subregions in mammals remain undefined. To resolve this, we performed single-cell transcriptional profiling and highly multiplexed in situ hybridization experiments of the mouse habenula complex in naive mice and those exposed to an acute aversive stimulus. Transcriptionally distinct neuronal cell types identified within the MHb and LHb, were spatially defined, differentially engaged by aversive stimuli, and had distinct electrophysiological properties. Cell types identified in mice also displayed a high degree of transcriptional similarity to those previously described in zebrafish, highlighting the well-conserved nature of habenular cell types across the phylum. These data identify key molecular targets within habenular cell types and provide a critical resource for future studies.


Habenula/metabolism , Neuroglia/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Animals , Astrocytes/cytology , Astrocytes/metabolism , Endothelial Cells/cytology , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Ependymoglial Cells/cytology , Ependymoglial Cells/metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Ontology , Habenula/cytology , Mice , Microglia/cytology , Microglia/metabolism , Neuroglia/cytology , Neurons/cytology , Oligodendroglia/cytology , Oligodendroglia/metabolism , RNA-Seq , Single-Cell Analysis , Zebrafish
5.
Acta Neuropathol Commun ; 8(1): 44, 2020 04 07.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32264959

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is debilitating and is usually accompanied by mood disorders. The lateral habenula (LHb) is considered to be involved in the modulation of pain and mood disorders, and the present study aimed to determine if and how the LHb participates in the development of pain and anxiety in TN. To address this issue, a mouse model of partial transection of the infraorbital nerve (pT-ION) was established. pT-ION induced stable and long-lasting primary and secondary orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors that correlated with the increased excitability of LHb neurons. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression of hM4D(Gi) in glutamatergic neurons of the unilateral LHb followed by clozapine-N-oxide application relieved pT-ION-induced anxiety-like behaviors but not allodynia. Immunofluorescence validated the successful infection of AAV in the LHb, and microarray analysis showed changes in gene expression in the LHb of mice showing allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors after pT-ION. Among these differentially expressed genes was Tacr3, the downregulation of which was validated by RT-qPCR. Rescuing the downregulation of Tacr3 by AAV-mediated Tacr3 overexpression in the unilateral LHb significantly reversed pT-ION-induced anxiety-like behaviors but not allodynia. Whole-cell patch clamp recording showed that Tacr3 overexpression suppressed nerve injury-induced hyperexcitation of LHb neurons, and western blotting showed that the pT-ION-induced upregulation of p-CaMKII was reversed by AAV-mediated Tacr3 overexpression or chemicogenetic inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in the LHb. Moreover, not only anxiety-like behaviors, but also allodynia after pT-ION were significantly alleviated by chemicogenetic inhibition of bilateral LHb neurons or by bilateral Tacr3 overexpression in the LHb. In conclusion, Tacr3 in the LHb plays a protective role in treating trigeminal nerve injury-induced allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors by suppressing the hyperexcitability of LHb neurons. These findings provide a rationale for suppressing unilateral or bilateral LHb activity by targeting Tacr3 in treating the anxiety and pain associated with TN.


Anxiety/genetics , Behavior, Animal/physiology , Habenula/metabolism , Hyperalgesia/genetics , Neurons/metabolism , Receptors, Neurokinin-3/genetics , Trigeminal Neuralgia/genetics , Animals , Antipsychotic Agents/pharmacology , Anxiety/physiopathology , Anxiety/psychology , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Clozapine/analogs & derivatives , Clozapine/pharmacology , Disease Models, Animal , Elevated Plus Maze Test , Glutamic Acid/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Hyperalgesia/metabolism , Hyperalgesia/physiopathology , Hyperalgesia/psychology , Maxillary Nerve/surgery , Mice , Neural Inhibition , Open Field Test , Transcriptome , Trigeminal Neuralgia/metabolism , Trigeminal Neuralgia/physiopathology , Trigeminal Neuralgia/psychology
6.
Elife ; 92020 02 11.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32043968

The lateral habenula (LHb) is an epithalamic brain structure critical for processing and adapting to negative action outcomes. However, despite the importance of LHb to behavior and the clear anatomical and molecular diversity of LHb neurons, the neuron types of the habenula remain unknown. Here, we use high-throughput single-cell transcriptional profiling, monosynaptic retrograde tracing, and multiplexed FISH to characterize the cells of the mouse habenula. We find five subtypes of neurons in the medial habenula (MHb) that are organized into anatomical subregions. In the LHb, we describe four neuronal subtypes and show that they differentially target dopaminergic and GABAergic cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). These data provide a valuable resource for future study of habenular function and dysfunction and demonstrate neuronal subtype specificity in the LHb-VTA circuit.


Habenula/metabolism , Transcriptome , Animals , Brain Mapping , Dopaminergic Neurons , GABAergic Neurons , Gene Expression Profiling , Habenula/cytology , Mice , Single-Cell Analysis , Ventral Tegmental Area/cytology
7.
Nat Commun ; 10(1): 4560, 2019 10 08.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31594935

The gustatory system plays a critical role in sensing appetitive and aversive taste stimuli for evaluating food quality. Although taste preference is known to change depending on internal states such as hunger, a mechanistic insight remains unclear. Here, we examine the neuronal mechanisms regulating hunger-induced taste modification. Starved mice exhibit an increased preference for sweetness and tolerance for aversive taste. This hunger-induced taste modification is recapitulated by selective activation of orexigenic Agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus projecting to the lateral hypothalamus, but not to other regions. Glutamatergic, but not GABAergic, neurons in the lateral hypothalamus function as downstream neurons of AgRP neurons. Importantly, these neurons play a key role in modulating preferences for both appetitive and aversive tastes by using distinct pathways projecting to the lateral septum or the lateral habenula, respectively. Our results suggest that these hypothalamic circuits would be important for optimizing feeding behavior under fasting.


Habenula/physiology , Hunger/physiology , Hypothalamic Area, Lateral/physiology , Septal Nuclei/physiology , Taste/physiology , Agouti-Related Protein/metabolism , Animals , Appetitive Behavior/physiology , GABAergic Neurons/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Hypothalamic Area, Lateral/cytology , Male , Mice , Models, Animal , Neural Pathways/physiology , Optogenetics , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Septal Nuclei/cytology , Stereotaxic Techniques
8.
Neuropharmacology ; 158: 107747, 2019 11 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31445991

Alcoholics often experience hyperalgesia, especially during abstinence, yet the underlying cellular and molecular bases are unclear. Recent evidence suggests that 5-HT type 2 receptors (5-HT2Rs) at glutamatergic synapses on lateral habenula (LHb) neurons may play a critical role. We, therefore, measured paw withdrawal responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, and alcohol intake in a rat model of intermittent drinking paradigm, as well as spontaneous glutamatergic transmission (sEPSCs), and firing of LHb neurons in brain slices. Here, we report that nociceptive sensitivity was higher in rats at 24 h withdrawal from chronic alcohol consumption than that of alcohol-naive counterparts. The basal frequency of sEPSCs and firings was higher in slices of withdrawn rats than that of Naïve rats, and 5-HT2R antagonists attenuated the enhancement. Also, an acute ethanol-induced increase of sEPSCs and firings was smaller in withdrawal than in Naïve rats; it was attenuated by 5-HT2R antagonists but mimicked by 5-HT2R agonists. Importantly, intra-LHb infusion of 5-HT2R agonists increased nociceptive sensitivity in Naïve rats, while antagonists or 5-HT reuptake blocker decreased nociceptive sensitivity and alcohol intake in withdrawn rats. Additionally, KN-62, a CaMKII inhibitor, attenuated the enhancement of EPSCs and firing induced by acute alcohol and by 5-HT2R agonist. Furthermore, intra-LHb KN-62 reduced nociceptive sensitivity and alcohol intake. Quantitative real-time PCR assay detected mRNA of 5-HT2A and 2C in the LHb. Thus adaptation in 5-HT2R-CaMKII signaling pathway contributes to the hyper-glutamatergic state, the hyperactivity of LHb neurons as well as the higher nociceptive sensitivity in rats withdrawn from chronic alcohol consumption.


Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2/antagonists & inhibitors , Central Nervous System Depressants/pharmacology , Ethanol/pharmacology , Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials/drug effects , Habenula/drug effects , Neurons/drug effects , Nociception/drug effects , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/metabolism , 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine/analogs & derivatives , 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine/pharmacology , Animals , Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2/metabolism , Central Nervous System Depressants/adverse effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Ethanol/adverse effects , Glutamic Acid/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/drug effects , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Rats , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/drug effects , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/genetics , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/drug effects , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/genetics , Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT2/metabolism , Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/etiology
9.
Nat Commun ; 9(1): 2710, 2018 07 13.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30006624

Nicotine use can lead to dependence through complex processes that are regulated by both its rewarding and aversive effects. Recent studies show that aversive nicotine doses activate excitatory inputs to the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) from the medial habenula (MHb), but the downstream targets of the IPN that mediate aversion are unknown. Here we show that IPN projections to the laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) are GABAergic using optogenetics in tissue slices from mouse brain. Selective stimulation of these IPN axon terminals in LDTg in vivo elicits avoidance behavior, suggesting that these projections contribute to aversion. Nicotine modulates these synapses in a concentration-dependent manner, with strong enhancement only seen at higher concentrations that elicit aversive responses in behavioral tests. Optogenetic inhibition of the IPN-LDTg connection blocks nicotine conditioned place aversion, suggesting that the IPN-LDTg connection is a critical part of the circuitry that mediates the aversive effects of nicotine.


Avoidance Learning/physiology , GABAergic Neurons/drug effects , Habenula/drug effects , Interpeduncular Nucleus/drug effects , Nicotine/pharmacology , Tegmentum Mesencephali/drug effects , Animals , Channelrhodopsins/genetics , Channelrhodopsins/metabolism , Electrodes, Implanted , GABAergic Neurons/cytology , GABAergic Neurons/metabolism , Gene Expression , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/metabolism , Interpeduncular Nucleus/cytology , Interpeduncular Nucleus/metabolism , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neural Pathways/drug effects , Neural Pathways/metabolism , Optogenetics , Reward , Stereotaxic Techniques , Synapses/drug effects , Synapses/physiology , Tegmentum Mesencephali/cytology , Tegmentum Mesencephali/metabolism , Transgenes
10.
Neuron ; 98(5): 878-879, 2018 06 06.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29879390

The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine has been found to have rapid and long-lasting antidepressive effects. Two elegant studies from Hailan Hu's laboratory (Cui et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2018) showed that ketamine blocks burst firing of neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb), rapidly relieving symptoms of depression.


Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Depressive Disorder/drug therapy , Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/pharmacology , Habenula/drug effects , Ketamine/pharmacology , Neurons/drug effects , Anhedonia/drug effects , Animals , Calcium Channels, T-Type/metabolism , Depressive Disorder/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/therapeutic use , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/metabolism , Helplessness, Learned , Ketamine/therapeutic use , Neurons/metabolism , Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying/metabolism , Rats , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism , Restraint, Physical
11.
Sci Signal ; 11(520)2018 03 06.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29511121

Centrally released corticotropin-releasing factor or hormone (extrahypothalamic CRF or CRH) in the brain is involved in the behavioral and emotional responses to stress. The lateral habenula (LHb) is an epithalamic brain region involved in value-based decision-making and stress evasion. Through its inhibition of dopamine-mediated reward circuitry, the increased activity of the LHb is associated with addiction, depression, schizophrenia, and behavioral disorders. We found that extrahypothalamic CRF neurotransmission increased neuronal excitability in the LHb. Through its receptor CRFR1 and subsequently protein kinase A (PKA), CRF application increased the intrinsic excitability of LHb neurons by affecting changes in small-conductance SK-type and large-conductance BK-type K+ channels. CRF also reduced inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid-containing (GABAergic) synaptic transmission onto LHb neurons through endocannabinoid-mediated retrograde signaling. Maternal deprivation is a severe early-life stress that alters CRF neural circuitry and is likewise associated with abnormal mental health later in life. LHb neurons from pups deprived of maternal care exhibited increased intrinsic excitability, reduced GABAergic transmission, decreased abundance of SK2 channel protein, and increased activity of PKA, without any substantial changes in Crh or Crhr1 expression. Furthermore, maternal deprivation blunted the response of LHb neurons to subsequent, acute CRF exposure. Activating SK channels or inhibiting postsynaptic PKA activity prevented the effects of both CRF and maternal deprivation on LHb intrinsic excitability, thus identifying potential pharmacological targets to reverse central CRF circuit dysregulation in patients with associated disorders.


Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism , Habenula/metabolism , Stress, Psychological/metabolism , Synaptic Transmission/physiology , Action Potentials/drug effects , Animals , Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/pharmacology , Dopaminergic Neurons/drug effects , Dopaminergic Neurons/metabolism , Dopaminergic Neurons/physiology , Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials/drug effects , GABAergic Neurons/drug effects , GABAergic Neurons/metabolism , GABAergic Neurons/physiology , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/drug effects , Male , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Synaptic Transmission/drug effects , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/pharmacology
12.
J Comp Neurol ; 526(9): 1527-1549, 2018 06 15.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29524214

The medial habenula (MHb), implicated in stress, depression, memory, and nicotine withdrawal syndromes, receives septal inputs and sends efferents to the interpeduncular nucleus. We previously showed that the immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) nectin-2α and nectin-2δ are expressed in astrocytes in the brain, but their expression in neurons remains unknown. We showed here by immunofluorescence microscopy that nectin-2α, but not nectin-2δ, was prominently expressed in the cholinergic neurons in the developing and adult MHbs and localized at the boundary between the adjacent somata of the clustered cholinergic neurons where the voltage-gated A-type K+ channel Kv4.2 was localized. Analysis by immunoelectron microscopy on this boundary revealed that Kv4.2 was localized at the membrane specializations (MSs) with plasma membrane darkening in an asymmetrical manner, whereas nectin-2α was localized on the apposed plasma membranes mostly at the outside of these MSs, but occasionally localized at their edges and insides. Nectin-2α at this boundary was not colocalized with the nectin-2α-binding protein afadin, other CAMs, or their interacting peripheral membrane proteins, suggesting that nectin-2α forms a cell adhesion apparatus different from the Kv4.2-associated MSs. Genetic ablation of nectin-2 delayed the localization of Kv4.2 at the boundary between the adjacent somata of the clustered cholinergic neurons in the developing MHb. These results revealed the unique localization of nectin-2α and its regulatory role in the localization of Kv4.2 at the MSs in the MHb.


Cholinergic Neurons/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Nectins/metabolism , Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism , Shal Potassium Channels/metabolism , Subcellular Fractions/metabolism , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Cholinergic Neurons/cytology , Gene Expression Regulation/genetics , Habenula/metabolism , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Transgenic , Nectins/genetics , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/metabolism , beta-Galactosidase/genetics , beta-Galactosidase/metabolism
13.
Brain Struct Funct ; 223(5): 2243-2258, 2018 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29460052

Hypofunction of the serotonergic (5-HT) system has close relationship with the symptoms in major depressive disorders (MDD), however, the underlying neural circuitry mechanisms are not fully understood. Lateral habenula (LHb) plays a crucial role in aversive behaviors and is activated in conditions of depression. It has been reported that 5-HT inhibits the excitability of LHb neurons, leading to the hypothesis that decreased transmission of 5-HT would elevate the activity of LHb and therefore mediates depressive symptoms. Using retrograde tract tracing with cholera toxin subunit B, we find that dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) sends primary 5-HT projection to the LHb. In vitro slice patch-clamp recording reveals that opto-stimulation of DRN inputs to the LHb suppresses the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current, while increases paired pulse ratio in LHb neurons, indicating 5-HT projection presynaptically suppresses the excitability of LHb neurons. In chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression, optogenetic stimulation of DRN-LHb projection alleviates the depressive symptoms in CUMS models. Meanwhile, opto-inhibition of this circuit results in elevated c-fos expression in LHb and induces depression-like behaviors. This study demonstrates that the 5-HT projection from DRN to LHb suppresses the excitability of LHb neurons, and hypofunction of 5-HT transmission induces depressive behavior via the activation of LHb. Our results reveal the functional connectivity of DRN-LHb circuit and its antidepressant action, which may provide a novel target for the treatment of depression.


Depression/therapy , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/physiology , Habenula/physiology , Neural Inhibition/physiology , Neural Pathways/physiology , Animals , Channelrhodopsins/genetics , Channelrhodopsins/metabolism , Cholera Toxin/metabolism , Depression/etiology , Disease Models, Animal , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/diagnostic imaging , Electric Stimulation , Exploratory Behavior , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/metabolism , Food Preferences/drug effects , Glutamate Decarboxylase/metabolism , Grooming/physiology , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/diagnostic imaging , In Vitro Techniques , Luminescent Proteins/genetics , Luminescent Proteins/metabolism , Male , Maze Learning , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Neural Pathways/diagnostic imaging , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/physiology , Optogenetics , Positron-Emission Tomography , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Serotonin/metabolism , Serotonin Agents/pharmacology , Stress, Psychological/complications , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Sucrose/administration & dosage , Swimming/psychology , Synaptic Potentials/drug effects , Synaptic Potentials/physiology , Transduction, Genetic , Tryptophan Hydroxylase/metabolism , Red Fluorescent Protein
14.
CNS Neurosci Ther ; 24(8): 721-733, 2018 08.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29479825

AIMS: Serotonergic (5-HT) modulation of the lateral habenula (LHb) activity is central in normal and pathologic conditions such as mood disorders. Among the multiple 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) involved, the 5-HT2C R seems to play a pivotal role. Yet, the role of 5-HT2A Rs in the control of the LHb neuronal activity is completely unknown. METHODS: Single-cell extracellular recording of the LHb neurons was used in rats to study the effect of the general activation and blockade of the 5-HT2C R and 5-HT2A R with Ro 60-0175 and SB242084, TCB-2 and MDL11939, respectively. The expression of both receptors in the LHb was confirmed using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Cumulative doses (5-640 µg/kg, iv) of Ro 60-0175 and TCB-2 affected the activity of 34% and 63% of the LHb recorded neurons, respectively. LHb neurons were either inhibited at low doses or excited at higher doses of the 5-HT2A/C R agonists. SB242084 or MDL11939 (both at 200 µg/kg, iv) did not modify neuronal firing when injected alone, but reverted the bidirectional effects of Ro 60-0175 or TCB-2, respectively. 5-HT2C Rs and 5-HT2A Rs are expressed in less than the 20% of the LHb neurons, and they neither colocalize nor make heterodimers. Strikingly, only 5-HT2A Rs are expressed by the majority of LHb astrocyte cells. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral administration of 5-HT2A R agonist promotes a heterogeneous pattern of neuronal responses in the LHb, and these effects are more prominent than those induced by the 5-HT2C R activation.


Action Potentials/drug effects , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/metabolism , Neurons/physiology , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/metabolism , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/metabolism , Animals , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , ELAV-Like Protein 3/metabolism , Glutamate Decarboxylase/metabolism , Habenula/drug effects , Male , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Neurons/drug effects , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Serotonin Agents/pharmacology
15.
Eur J Neurosci ; 47(1): 83-94, 2018 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29139213

Cocaine addiction is thought to be the result of drug-induced functional changes in a neural network implicated in emotions, learning and cognitive control. Recent studies have implicated the lateral habenula (LHb) in drug-directed behavior, especially its aversive aspects. Limited cocaine exposure has been shown to alter neuronal activity in the LHb, but the impact of long-term drug exposure on habenula function has not been determined. Therefore, using c-fos as a marker, we here examined neuronal activity in LHb in rats that self-administered cocaine for either 10 or 60 days. Both the density of labeled cells and the cellular labeling intensity were measured in the lateral (LHbL) and medial (LHbM) parts of LHb. After 10 days of cocaine self-administration, both the density and intensity of c-fos-positive cells were significantly increased in LHbL, but not LHbM, while after 60 days, an increased density (but not intensity) of labeled neurons in both LHbL and LHbM was observed. Most c-fos-labeled neurons were glutamatergic. In addition, we found increased GAD65 expression after 10 but not 60 days of cocaine self-administration in the rostral mesencephalic tegmental nucleus. These data shed light on the complex temporal dynamics by which cocaine self-administration alters activity in LHb circuitry, which may play an important role in the descent to compulsive drug use as a result of prolonged cocaine-taking experience.


Cocaine-Related Disorders/physiopathology , Cocaine/pharmacology , Habenula/physiology , Neurons/physiology , Animals , Cocaine/administration & dosage , Glutamate Decarboxylase/genetics , Glutamate Decarboxylase/metabolism , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/drug effects , Male , Membrane Potentials , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Self Administration , Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2/genetics , Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2/metabolism
16.
Cell Rep ; 21(7): 1757-1769, 2017 Nov 14.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29141211

The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain structure that participates in cognitive and emotional processing and has been implicated in several mental disorders. Although one of the largest inputs to the LHb originates in the lateral preoptic area (LPO), little is known about how the LPO participates in the regulation of LHb function. Here, we provide evidence that the LPO exerts bivalent control over the LHb through the convergent transmission of LPO glutamate and Î³-aminobutyric acid (GABA) onto single LHb neurons. In vivo, both LPO-glutamatergic and LPO-GABAergic inputs to the LHb are activated by aversive stimuli, and their predictive cues yet produce opposing behaviors when stimulated independently. These results support a model wherein the balanced response of converging LPO-glutamate and LPO-GABA are necessary for a normal response to noxious stimuli, and an imbalance in LPO→LHb glutamate or GABA results in the type of aberrant processing that may underlie mental disorders.


Glutamic Acid/metabolism , Habenula/metabolism , Preoptic Area/metabolism , Synaptic Transmission , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism , Animals , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/physiology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neurons/metabolism , Neurons/physiology , Preoptic Area/cytology , Preoptic Area/physiology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley
17.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav ; 162: 29-37, 2017 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28843424

The habenula is an evolutionarily conserved brain region comprising bilaterally paired nuclei that plays a key role in processing reward information and mediating aversive responses to negative stimuli. An important aspect underlying habenula function is relaying information between forebrain and mid- and hindbrain areas. This is mediated by its complex organization into multiple subdomains and corresponding complexity in circuit organization. Additionally, in many species habenular nuclei display left-right differences at the anatomical and functional level. In order to ensure proper functional organization of habenular circuitry, sophisticated molecular programs control the morphogenesis and wiring of the habenula during development. Knowledge of how these mechanisms shape the habenula is crucial for obtaining a complete understanding of this brain region and can provide invaluable tools to study habenula evolution and function. In this review we will discuss how these molecular mechanisms pattern the early embryonic nervous system and control the formation of the habenula, how they shape its asymmetric organization, and how these mechanisms ensure proper wiring of the habenular circuit. Finally, we will address unexplored aspects of habenula development and how these may direct future research.


Habenula/growth & development , Morphogenesis/physiology , Nerve Net/growth & development , Animals , Habenula/cytology , Humans , Nerve Net/cytology , Neurogenesis/physiology
18.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav ; 162: 38-45, 2017 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28746826

Animal including human behavior is highly sophisticated. Besides reflective actions it is largely based on the desire for magnificent internal feelings, which are provided by the reward system. Its counterpart an "anti-reward" system is mainly composed of the lateral habenular complex (LHb) and its extensive interconnections with the monoaminergic cell groups in the mid- and hindbrain. The present review focuses on the neuronal composition and the internal signaling in the LHb. Morphologically six distinct types of neurons (spherical, fusiform-1, fusiform-2, polymorphic, vertical, neurogliaform) can be identified. In contrast, setting aside neurogliaform cells, only three broad categories (silent, tonic firing, bursting) can be identified using electrophysiological criteria. Functionally, LHb neurons express HCN channels and therefore in an "indifferent" situation LHb appears to be tonically active. When the situation takes a turn for the better habenular cells become inhibited, releasing dopaminergic VTA neurons from continuous damping. In contrast, when the situation takes a turn for the worse, LHb neurons are stimulated, completely shutting down the activity of dopaminergic cells in the VTA.


Habenula/physiology , Neurons/physiology , Synapses/physiology , Action Potentials/physiology , Animals , Electrophysiological Phenomena/physiology , Habenula/cytology , Humans
19.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav ; 162: 46-54, 2017 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28624585

Over the past 20years, substantive research has firmly implicated the lateral habenula in myriad neural processes including addiction, depression, and sleep. More recently, evidence has emerged suggesting that the lateral habenula is a component of the brain's intrinsic daily or circadian timekeeping system. This system centers on the master circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus that is synchronized to the external world through environmental light information received directly from the eye. Rhythmic clock gene expression in suprachiasmatic neurons drives variation in their electrical activity enabling communication of temporal information, and the organization of circadian rhythms in downstream targets. Here, we review the evidence implicating the lateral habenula as part of an extended neural circadian system. We consider findings suggesting that the lateral habenula is a recipient of circadian signals from the suprachiasmatic nuclei as well as light information from the eye. Further we examine the proposition that the lateral habenula itself expresses intrinsic clock gene and neuronal rhythms. We then speculate on how circadian information communicated from the lateral habenula could influence activity and function in downstream targets such as the ventral tegmental area and raphe nuclei.


Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Habenula/physiology , Animals , CLOCK Proteins/biosynthesis , Habenula/cytology , Humans , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons/cytology , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons/physiology
20.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav ; 162: 3-21, 2017 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28647565

The cytology and connections of the lateral habenula (LHb) are reviewed. The habenula is first introduced, after which the cytology of the LHb is discussed mainly with reference to cell types, general topography and descriptions of subnuclei. An overview of LHb afferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections to LHb from a number of structures. An overview of lateral habenula efferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections from LHb to a number of structures. In considering the afferent and efferent connections of the LHb some attention is given to the relative validity of regarding it as a bi-partite structure featuring 'limbic' and 'pallidal' parts. The paper ends with some concluding remarks about the relative place of the LHb in adaptive behaving.


Adaptation, Physiological/physiology , Habenula/cytology , Habenula/physiology , Nerve Net/cytology , Nerve Net/physiology , Animals , Humans
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