Substance-related and addictive disorders (SRADs) are characterized by compulsive drug use and recurrent relapse. The persistence of pathological drug-related memories indisputably contributes to a high propensity to relapse. Hence, strategies to disrupt reconsolidation of drug reward memory are currently being pursued as potential anti-relapse interventions. Sulfur dioxide (SO2), acting as a potential gaseous molecule, endogenously derives from sulfur amino acid and can exert significant neural regulatory effects. However, the role of SO2 in reconsolidation of drug memory has not been determined. In the present study, we used morphine- or cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) mouse models with retrieval to investigate the effects of exogenous SO2 donor treatment on reconsolidation of drug reward memory. We found that administration of SO2 donor immediately after the retrieval impaired the expression of morphine or cocaine CPP. Furthermore, the exogenous SO2 donor treatment 6 h post-retrieval or in the absence of retrieval had no effect on drug reward memory and the expression of CPP. SO2 itself did not produce aversive effects nor did it acutely block morphine CPP. Our results indicate that exogenous SO2 impairs reconsolidation of drug reward memory rather than inhibits the expression of drug reward memory. As such, SO2 holds potential for the treatment and prevention of SRADs and should be studied further.
Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Cocaine/pharmacology , Memory Consolidation/drug effects , Morphine/pharmacology , Reward , Sulfites/pharmacology , Sulfur Dioxide/pharmacology , Animals , Cocaine-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Cocaine-Related Disorders/psychology , Conditioning, Classical/drug effects , Humans , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Morphine Dependence/drug therapy , Morphine Dependence/psychology , Time Factors
Pericytes are a very important cellular constituent of the blood-brain barrier.They play a regulatory role in brain angiogenesis,endothelial cell tight junction formation,blood-brain barrier differentiation,microvascular dynamic motion and structural stability.Pericytes exhibit unique functional characteristics in some diseases,such as cerebrovascular disease,neurodegenerative disease,neuroimmune disease and traumatic brain injury.This article reviews the roles of pericytes in the blood-brain barrier.
