Subchronic administration of atomoxetine causes an enduring reduction in context-induced relapse to cocaine seeking without affecting impulsive decision making.

Previous work has established a robust relationship between impulsivity and addiction, and revealed that impulsive decision making predisposes the vulnerability to cocaine-seeking behavior in rats. An important next step is to assess whether elevated relapse vulnerability can be treated via the reduction of impulsive decision making. Therefore, this study explored whether subchronic atomoxetine treatment can reduce relapse vulnerability by reducing impulsive decision making. Rats were trained in the delayed reward task and were subjected to 3 weeks of cocaine self-administration. Following drug self-administration, animals were divided to different experimental groups and received the noradrenaline transporter inhibitor and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug atomoxetine or vehicle subchronically for 20 days. On days 1 and 10 after treatment cessation, a context-induced reinstatement test was performed. Throughout the entire experiment, changes in impulsive decision making were continuously monitored. Subchronic treatment with atomoxetine reduced context-induced reinstatement both 1 and 10 days after treatment cessation, only in animals receiving no extinction training. Interestingly, neither subchronic nor acute atomoxetine treatments affected impulsive decision making. Our data indicate that the enduring reduction in relapse sensitivity by atomoxetine occurred independent of a reduction in impulsive decision making. Nonetheless, repeated atomoxetine administration seems a promising pharmacotherapeutical strategy to prevent relapse to cocaine seeking in abstinent drug-dependent subjects.

Lateral hypothalamic GABAergic neurons encode alcohol memories.

In alcohol use disorder, the alcohol memories persist during abstinence, and exposure to stimuli associated with alcohol use can lead to relapse. This highlights the importance of investigating the neural substrates underlying not only relapse but also encoding and expression of alcohol memories. GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH-GABA) have been shown to be critical for food-cue memories and motivation; however, the extent to which this role extends to alcohol-cue memories and motivations remains unexplored. In this study, we aimed to describe how alcohol-related memories are encoded and expressed in LH GABAergic neurons. Our first step was to monitor LH-GABA calcium transients during acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement of an alcohol-cue memory using fiber photometry. We trained the rats on a Pavlovian conditioning task, where one conditioned stimulus (CS+) predicted alcohol (20% EtOH) and another conditioned stimulus (CS-) had no outcome. We then extinguished this association through non-reinforced presentations of the CS+ and CS- and finally, in two different groups, we measured relapse under non-primed and alcohol-primed induced reinstatement. Our results show that initially both cues caused increased LH-GABA activity, and after learning only the alcohol cue increased LH-GABA activity. After extinction, this activity decreases, and we found no differences in LH-GABA activity during reinstatement in either group. Next, we inhibited LH-GABA neurons with optogenetics to show that activity of these neurons is necessary for the formation of an alcohol-cue association. These findings suggest that LH-GABA might be involved in attentional processes modulated by learning.

Rats choose alcohol over social reward in an operant choice procedure.

The interaction between social factors and alcohol addiction is complex, with potential for both positive and negative contributions to drug use and abstinence. Positive social connections are an important component in successful abstinence, and yet the social context of alcohol use can also lead to relapse. Recently it was shown that rats overwhelmingly choose social reward over methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in a discrete choice procedure, and that prolonged choice for social reward attenuates incubation of drug craving. The extent to which this effect generalises to rats trained to self-administer alcohol is not known. In this study we aimed to test the effect of social reward on choice for alcohol in male and female rats. We first validated social reward self-administration in both male and female Long-Evans rats, and found that 60 s access to a social partner of the same sex can serve as an operant reinforcer. Next we trained rats to self-administer both social reward and alcohol (20% ethanol in water), and then used discrete choice trial based tests to determine whether there is a choice preference for alcohol or social reward. Our main finding is that both male and female rats showed persistent choice for alcohol over social reward, with only minor differences between the sexes. We also show that choice for alcohol could be reduced via increased response requirement for alcohol, pre-choice alcohol exposure, and also decreasing the alcohol percentage. This study shows that preference for social rewards over drugs may not generalise to rats self-administering alcohol, and we describe several conditions where choice for social reward can be developed. This study highlights the important contribution of social factors to alcohol abuse, and future studies can investigate the neurobiology underlying a shift in preference from alcohol to social rewards.

Insulin modulates cocaine-sensitive monoamine transporter function and impulsive behavior.

Because insulin acutely enhances the function of dopamine transporters, the tyrosine kinase receptors activated by this hormone may modulate transporter-dependent neurochemical and behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs. In this respect, we examined the effects of insulin on exocytotic monoamine release and the efficacy of the monoamine transporter blocker cocaine in rat nucleus accumbens. Whereas insulin reduced electrically evoked exocytotic [(3)H]dopamine release in nucleus accumbens slices, the hormone potentiated the release-enhancing effect of cocaine thereon. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 abolished these effects, indicating the involvement of insulin receptors. Similar insulin effects were observed on the release of [(3)H]norepinephrine in nucleus accumbens slices, but not on that of [(3)H]serotonin, and were also apparent in medial prefrontal cortex slices. As might then be expected, insulin also potentiated the dopamine and norepinephrine release-enhancing effects of the selective monoamine uptake inhibitors GBR12909 and desmethylimipramine, respectively. In subsequent behavioral experiments, we investigated the role of insulin in motor impulsivity that depends on monoamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. Intracranial administration of insulin in the nucleus accumbens alone reduced premature responses in the five-choice serial reaction time task and enhanced the stimulatory effect of peripheral cocaine administration on impulsivity, resembling the observed neurochemical effects of the hormone. In contrast, cocaine-induced locomotor activity remained unchanged by intra-accumbal insulin application. These data reveal that insulin presynaptically regulates cocaine-sensitive monoamine transporter function in the nucleus accumbens and, as a consequence, impulsivity. Therefore, insulin signaling proteins may represent targets for the treatment of inhibitory control deficits such as addictive behaviors.

µ-Opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell region mediate the effects of amphetamine on inhibitory control but not impulsive choice.

Acute challenges with psychostimulants such as amphetamine affect impulsive behavior in both animals and humans. With regard to amphetamine, it is important to unravel how this drug affects impulsivity since it is not only a widely abused recreational drug but also regularly prescribed to ameliorate maladaptive impulsivity. Therefore, we studied the effects of amphetamine in two rat models of impulsivity, the five-choice serial reaction time task and the delayed-reward task, providing measures of inhibitory control and impulsive choice, respectively. We focused on the role of opioid receptor activation in amphetamine-induced impulsivity as there is ample evidence indicating an important role for endogenous opioids in several behavioral and neurochemical effects of amphetamine. Results showed that amphetamine-induced inhibitory control deficits were dose-dependently attenuated by the preferential µ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, but not by the selective δ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole or κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor-BNI (nor-binaltorphimine dihydrochloride). In contrast, naloxone did not affect amphetamine-induced improvements in impulsive decision making. Naloxone also completely prevented inhibitory control deficits induced by GBR 12909 [1-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy] ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine dihydrochloride], a selective dopamine transporter inhibitor. Intracranial infusions of naloxone, the selective µ-opioid receptor antagonist CTAP (H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH(2)), morphine, and the selective µ-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO ([D-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]-enkephalin acetate salt) revealed that µ-opioid receptor activation in the shell rather than the core subregion of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) modulates inhibitory control and subserves the effect of amphetamine thereon. Together, these results indicate an important role for NAc shell µ-opioid receptors in the regulation of inhibitory control, probably via an interaction between these receptors and the mesolimbic dopamine system.

Role of anterior insula cortex in context-induced relapse of nicotine-seeking.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, and relapse during abstinence remains the critical barrier to successful treatment of tobacco addiction. During abstinence, environmental contexts associated with nicotine use can induce craving and contribute to relapse. The insular cortex (IC) is thought to be a critical substrate of nicotine addiction and relapse. However, its specific role in context-induced relapse of nicotine-seeking is not fully known. In this study, we report a novel rodent model of context-induced relapse to nicotine-seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence, which models self-imposed abstinence through increasing negative consequences of excessive drug use. Using the neuronal activity marker Fos we find that the anterior (aIC), but not the middle or posterior IC, shows increased activity during context-induced relapse. Combining Fos with retrograde labeling of aIC inputs, we show projections to aIC from contralateral aIC and basolateral amygdala exhibit increased activity during context-induced relapse. Next, we used fiber photometry in aIC and observed phasic increases in aIC activity around nicotine-seeking responses during self-administration, punishment, and the context-induced relapse tests. Next, we used chemogenetic inhibition in both male and female rats to determine whether activity in aIC is necessary for context-induced relapse. We found that chemogenetic inhibition of aIC decreased context-induced nicotine-seeking after either punishment- or extinction-imposed abstinence. These findings highlight the critical role nicotine-associated contexts play in promoting relapse, and they show that aIC activity is critical for this context-induced relapse following both punishment and extinction-imposed abstinence.

Alcohol Seeking Under Risk of Punishment Is Associated With Activation of Cortical and Subcortical Brain Regions.

In humans, stimuli associated with alcohol availability can provoke relapse during abstinence. In this study, we investigated the role of discriminative stimuli (DS) in the control of alcohol seeking in two types of behavioral tests. The first test examined the ability of an alcohol-associated DS to promote alcohol seeking (relapse) after punishment-imposed abstinence in the presence of a different DS. Following this, we tested whether the differentially associated DS can promote and suppress alcohol self-administration in a within-session discrimination task. During the within-session discrimination task, we also tested the rate of alcohol self-administration when two DS are presented in a compound. We first trained Long-Evans male rats (n = 24) to self-administer alcohol in the presence of one DS (reward-associated discriminative stimulus, rewDS) and then punished that behavior in the presence of a different DS (punishment-associated discriminative stimulus, punDS). On the test, we found that rats tested with the rewDS showed higher alcohol seeking than rats tested with the punDS. This result shows that a single Cue DS can promote alcohol seeking in a manner comparable to contexts. Subsequently, we trained 16 of these rats in a within-session trial-based discrimination task, comprised of intervening 2-min trials of rewDS, punDS, or conflict with rewDS and punDS in compound and a reduced probability of punishment. We found that alcohol self-administration is bi-directionally regulated by the rewDS and punDS. In conflict trials, alcohol self-administration was at a rate that was intermediate between the rewDS and punDS trials. In a final test, rats were presented with one of the three trial conditions and perfused for Fos immunohistochemistry. We found Fos expression was higher in the rats tested in the conflict condition in three interconnected sub-cortical brain regions. This study demonstrated the important role that alcohol-associated DS plays an important role in promoting relapse to alcohol seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence. We also implemented a within-session discrimination task that allows for the study of alcohol seeking under motivational conflict, which may be relevant for alcohol use despite negative consequences. The results from the Fos data suggest that higher alcohol seeking in approach-avoidance motivational conflict is associated with activation of sub-cortical regions but not cortical regions.

5-HT6 antagonism attenuates cue-induced relapse to cocaine seeking without affecting cocaine reinforcement.

Re-exposure to drug-related cues elicits drug-seeking behaviour and relapse in humans even after months of abstinence. Similarly, in laboratory rats, drug-associated stimuli reinstate cocaine seeking after prolonged withdrawal periods, thus providing a model to study mechanisms underlying cocaine relapse. 5-HT6 receptors (5-HT6Rs) are abundantly expressed in brain areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex, which are critically involved in cocaine reinforcement and relapse. Nevertheless, the role of 5-HT6Rs in relapse mechanisms has not been investigated. We report here that the 5-HT6R antagonists SB-271046 and Ro-04-6790 significantly attenuate cue-induced cocaine seeking. However, effective doses of both 5-HT6R antagonists did not affect cocaine self-administration. This indicates that 5-HT6Rs are specifically involved in the secondary reinforcing properties of cocaine, leaving primary reinforcement and ability to perform an operant response unaffected. As such, 5-HT6Rs may represent a novel target for the prevention of relapse to cocaine seeking.

Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex neurons encode nicotine-cue associations.

The role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in regulating nicotine taking and seeking remains largely unexplored. In this study we took advantage of the high time-resolution of optogenetic intervention by decreasing (Arch3.0) or increasing (ChR2) the activity of neurons in the dorsal and ventral mPFC during 5-s nicotine cue presentations in order to evaluate their contribution to cued nicotine seeking and taking. Wistar rats were trained to self-administer intravenous nicotine in 1 h self-administration sessions twice a day for a minimum of 10 days. Subsequently, dmPFC or vmPFC neuronal activity was modulated during or following presentation of the 5-s nicotine cue, both under extinction and self-administration conditions. We also used in vivo electrophysiology to record the activity of dmPFC neurons during nicotine self-administration and extinction tests. We show that optogenetic inhibition of dmPFC neurons during, but not following, response-contingent presentations of the nicotine cue increased nicotine seeking. We found no effect on nicotine self-administration or on food seeking in an extinction test. We also show that this effect is specific to dmPFC, because optogenetic inhibition of vmPFC had no effect on nicotine seeking and taking. In vivo recordings revealed that dmPFC network neuronal activity was modulated more strongly following nicotine cue presentation in extinction, compared to following nicotine self-administration. Our results strongly suggest that a population of neurons within the dmPFC is involved in encoding the incentive value of nicotine-associated cues.

Dissociable effects of cocaine and yohimbine on impulsive action and relapse to cocaine seeking.

RATIONALE: A strong association has been demonstrated between various forms of impulsivity and addiction-like behavior in both humans and rats. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated how impulsive action, as measured in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), is affected during various stages of cocaine taking and seeking and by relapse-provoking stimuli in animals that were trained both in an intravenous cocaine self-administration paradigm and in the 5-CSRTT. METHODS: Rats were concurrently trained in the 5-CSRTT and cocaine self-administration protocol, and subsequently, the effects of cocaine (7.5 mg/kg) and the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (1.25 mg/kg) were tested in both paradigms. RESULTS: Cocaine self-administration (5 h/day) transiently altered impulsive action and increased errors of omission in the 5-CSRTT. Pharmacological challenges with cocaine and yohimbine induced increments in impulsive action and reinstated cocaine-seeking responses within the same animals. Further analyses revealed that the effects of cocaine and yohimbine on impulsive action did not correlate with their effects on reinstatement of cocaine seeking. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that although impulsive action and relapse can be pharmacologically modulated in the same direction within individuals, these effects appear not to be directly coupled.

Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens core but not shell reduces motivational components of heroin taking and seeking in rats.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation is explored as a new intervention for treatment-resistant substance use dependence. A candidate brain region is the nucleus accumbens, due to its involvement in reward and motivation. This study aimed to explore effects of NAcore and NAshell deep brain stimulation on aspects of heroin taking and seeking in a self-administration model for rats. METHODS: NAcore and NAshell deep brain stimulation was applied during 25 or 100 µg/kg/infusion heroin self-administration on an FR4 schedule of reinforcement and during cue- and heroin-induced reinstatement. In a separate group, effects of NAcore deep brain stimulation on heroin self-administration on a progressive ratio schedule and the first extinction session were examined. RESULTS: NAcore and NAshell deep brain stimulation did not alter heroin self-administration on an FR4 schedule. NAcore deep brain stimulation decreased cue - but not drug-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking, whereas NAshell deep brain stimulation did not affect reinstatement responding. In the second experiment, NAcore deep brain stimulation reduced responding during a progressive ratio schedule of heroin reinforcement. Finally, deep brain stimulation facilitated extinction from day 1 throughout the course of extinction learning. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the differential effects of NAcore and NAshell deep brain stimulation on heroin taking and seeking are in line with the distinct functional roles of these sub-regions therein. Conditioned cues have been shown to be very powerful stimuli for the persistence of addiction and relapse to drug use. Therefore, the present findings that NAcore deep brain stimulation decreases motivation for heroin taking and cue-conditioned behaviour and facilitates extinction learning are very promising, supporting the positive findings from clinical case studies.

Prefrontal cortical neuregulin-ErbB modulation of inhibitory control in rats.

Impulse control disturbances are key features of various neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, drug addiction, Parkinson disease and schizophrenia. Whereas over the last years accumulating evidence has highlighted monoaminergic modulation of the processes underlying impulse control, investigating novel mechanisms beyond monoamines may provide new intervention strategies to ameliorate impulse control disturbances. Recent work has associated the neuregulin (Nrg)-ErbB pathway with several neuropsychiatric diseases, as well as indicated its involvement in murine measures of impulse control. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this Nrg-ErbB signaling pathway also modulates impulsive action in rats. To this end, a group of rats was trained in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), an operant paradigm that provides measures of visuospatial attention and inhibitory control processes. Upon stable baseline performance, the ErbB tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor JNJ-28871063 (JNJ) was intracranially infused into the medioprefrontal cortex prior to test sessions. Results showed that JNJ dose-dependently improved measures of impulsive action. Importantly, other measures in the 5-CSRTT reflecting visuospatial attention or aspects of motivational behavior were not altered by JNJ. In conclusion, the present data strengthen a role for the Nrg-ErbB4 pathway in the prefrontal cortex in cognitive functioning, and in particular point towards involvement in the processes underlying impulse control.

Dopaminergic modulation of impulsive decision making in the rat insular cortex.

Neuroimaging studies have implicated the insular cortex in cognitive processes including decision making. Nonetheless, little is known about the mechanisms by which the insula contributes to impulsive decision making. In this regard, the dopamine system is known to be importantly involved in decision making processes, including impulsive decision making. The aim of the current set of experiments was to further elucidate the importance of dopamine signaling in the agranular insular cortex in impulsive decision making. This compartment of the insular cortex is highly interconnected with brain areas such as the medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala and ventral striatum which are implicated in decision making processes. Male rats were trained in a delay-discounting task and upon stable baseline performance implanted with bilateral cannulae in the agranular insular cortex. Intracranial infusions of the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 and dopamine D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride revealed that particularly blocking dopamine D1 receptors centered on the insular cortex promoted impulsive decision making. Together, the present results demonstrate an important role of the agranular insular cortex in impulsive decision making and, more specifically, highlight the contribution of dopamine D1-like receptors.

Prefrontal gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor insertion controls cue-induced relapse to nicotine seeking.

BACKGROUND: Current smoking cessation therapies offer limited success, as relapse rates remain high. Nicotine, which is the major component of tobacco smoke, is thought to be primarily responsible for the addictive properties of tobacco. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying nicotine relapse, hampering development of more effective therapies. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic receptors in controlling relapse to nicotine seeking. METHODS: Using an intravenous self-administration model, we studied glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor regulation in the synaptic membrane fraction of the rat mPFC following extinction and cue-induced relapse to nicotine seeking. Subsequently, we locally intervened at the level of GABAergic signaling by using a mimetic peptide of the GABA receptor associated protein-interacting domain of GABA type A (GABAA) receptor subunit γ2 (TAT-GABAγ2) and muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist. RESULTS: Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors were not regulated after the 30-min relapse test. However, GABAA receptor subunits α1 and γ2 were upregulated, and interference with GABAA receptor insertion in the cell membrane using the TAT-GABAγ2 peptide in the dorsal mPFC, but not the ventral mPFC, significantly increased responding during relapse. Increasing GABAA transmission with muscimol in the dorsal and ventral mPFC attenuated relapse. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that cue-induced relapse entails a GABAergic plasticity mechanism that limits nicotine seeking by restoring inhibitory control in the dorsal mPFC. GABAA receptor-mediated neurotransmission in the dorsal mPFC constitutes a possible future therapeutic target for maintaining smoking abstinence.

On the improvement of inhibitory response control and visuospatial attention by indirect and direct adrenoceptor agonists.

RATIONALE: The clinical efficacy of the monoamine and noradrenaline transporter inhibitors methylphenidate and atomoxetine in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder implicates noradrenergic neurotransmission in modulating inhibitory response control processes. Nonetheless, it is unclear which adrenoceptor subtypes are involved in these effects. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed at investigating the effects of adrenoceptor agonists on inhibitory response control as assessed in the rodent 5-choice serial reaction time task, a widely used translational model to measure this executive cognitive function. RESULTS: Consistent with the previous reported effects of atomoxetine, the noradrenaline transporter inhibitor desipramine improved inhibitory response control, albeit the effect size was smaller compared to that of atomoxetine. Methylphenidate exerted a bimodal effect on inhibitory response control. Interestingly, the preferential ß2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol improved inhibitory response control. Moreover, clenbuterol improved visuospatial attention in the task, an effect that was also observed with the preferential ß1-adrenoceptor agonist dobutamine. By contrast, although the preferential α1-adrenoceptor and α2-adrenoceptor agonists (phenylephrine and clonidine, respectively) and the non-selective ß-adrenoceptor agonist (isoprenaline) were found to alter inhibitory response control, this was probably secondary to the simultaneous increments in response latencies and omissions observed at effective doses. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings further strengthen the notion of noradrenergic modulation of inhibitory response control and attentional processes and particularly reveal the involvement of ß2-adrenoceptors therein.

On the Role of Cannabinoid CB1- and µ-Opioid Receptors in Motor Impulsivity.

Previous studies using a rat 5-choice serial reaction time task have established a critical role for dopamine D2 receptors in regulating increments in motor impulsivity induced by acute administration of the psychostimulant drugs amphetamine and nicotine. Here we investigated whether cannabinoid CB1 and/or µ-opioid receptors are involved in nicotine-induced impulsivity, given recent findings indicating that both receptor systems mediate amphetamine-induced motor impulsivity. Results showed that the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A, but not the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, reduced nicotine-induced premature responding, indicating that nicotine-induced motor impulsivity is cannabinoid, but not opioid receptor-dependent. In contrast, SR141716A did not affect impulsivity following a challenge with the dopamine transporter inhibitor GBR 12909, a form of drug-induced impulsivity that was previously found to be dependent on µ-opioid receptor activation. Together, these data are consistent with the idea that the endogenous cannabinoid, dopamine, and opioid systems each play important, but distinct roles in regulating (drug-induced) motor impulsivity. The rather complex interplay between these neurotransmitter systems modulating impulsivity will be discussed in terms of the differential involvement of mesocortical and mesolimbic neurocircuitry.

Endocannabinoids shape accumbal encoding of cue-motivated behavior via CB1 receptor activation in the ventral tegmentum.

Transient increases in nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine concentration are observed when animals are presented with motivationally salient stimuli and are theorized to energize reward seeking. They arise from high-frequency firing of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which also results in the release of endocannabinoids from dopamine cell bodies. In this context, endocannabinoids are thought to regulate reward seeking by modulating dopamine signaling, although a direct link has never been demonstrated. To test this, we pharmacologically manipulated endocannabinoid neurotransmission in the VTA while measuring transient changes in dopamine concentration in the NAc during reward seeking. Disrupting endocannabinoid signaling dramatically reduced, whereas augmenting levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) increased, cue-evoked dopamine concentrations and reward seeking. These data suggest that 2AG in the VTA regulates reward seeking by sculpting ethologically relevant patterns of dopamine release during reward-directed behavior.

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation mediates the opposing effects of amphetamine on impulsive action and impulsive choice.

It is well known that acute challenges with psychostimulants such as amphetamine affect impulsive behavior. We here studied the pharmacology underlying the effects of amphetamine in two rat models of impulsivity, the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and the delayed reward task (DRT), providing measures of inhibitory control, an aspect of impulsive action, and impulsive choice, respectively. We focused on the role of cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation in amphetamine-induced impulsivity as there is evidence that acute challenges with psychostimulants activate the endogenous cannabinoid system, and CB1 receptor activity modulates impulsivity in both rodents and humans. Results showed that pretreatment with either the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist SR141716A or the neutral CB1 receptor antagonist O-2050 dose-dependently improved baseline inhibitory control in the 5-CSRTT. Moreover, both compounds similarly attenuated amphetamine-induced inhibitory control deficits, suggesting that CB1 receptor activation by endogenously released cannabinoids mediates this aspect of impulsive action. Direct CB1 receptor activation by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) did, however, not affect inhibitory control. Although neither SR141716A nor O-2050 affected baseline impulsive choice in the DRT, both ligands completely prevented amphetamine-induced reductions in impulsive decision making, indicating that CB1 receptor activity may decrease this form of impulsivity. Indeed, acute Δ9-THC was found to reduce impulsive choice in a CB1 receptor-dependent way. Together, these results indicate an important, though complex role for cannabinoid CB1 receptor activity in the regulation of impulsive action and impulsive choice as well as the opposite effects amphetamine has on both forms of impulsive behavior.

Varenicline attenuates cue-induced relapse to alcohol, but not nicotine seeking, while reducing inhibitory response control.

RATIONALE: Treatment of the most widely abused drugs, nicotine and alcohol, is hampered by high rates of relapse. Varenicline tartrate, an α4ß2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist, is currently prescribed as a smoking cessation aid. However, there is emerging evidence that it may also modulate alcohol seeking and cognitive functioning in rats. OBJECTIVES: As preclinical data on alcohol taking and relapse are limited, we used a self-administration-reinstatement model to evaluate the effects of varenicline on operant responding for alcohol (12%, v/v), intravenous nicotine (40 µg/kg/inf.), sucrose (10%, w/v) and on cue-induced relapse to alcohol and nicotine seeking in rats. At the cognitive level, we assed varenicline's effects on 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) performance with a focus on correct responses (attention) and premature responding (impulsivity), modalities that have previously been associated with addictive behaviour. RESULTS: Varenicline, at doses of 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg, reduced alcohol and nicotine self-administration and enhanced operant responding for sucrose. At these doses, varenicline reduced cue-induced relapse to alcohol, but not nicotine seeking. In contrast, at 0.5 mg/kg, varenicline facilitated cue-induced nicotine seeking. Similar to nicotine, varenicline increased premature responding at low doses, but had no effect on any of the other behavioural parameters in the 5-CSRTT. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that varenicline specifically reduced responding for nicotine and alcohol, but not for natural reinforcers such as sucrose. Interestingly, varenicline strongly attenuated cue-induced relapse to alcohol seeking, but not nicotine seeking. Varenicline may therefore be a promising aid in the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Lasting synaptic changes underlie attention deficits caused by nicotine exposure during adolescence.

Tobacco smoking and nicotine exposure during adolescence interfere with prefrontal cortex (PFC) development and lead to cognitive impairments in later life. The molecular and cellular underpinnings of these consequences remain elusive. We found that adolescent nicotine exposure induced lasting attentional disturbances and reduced mGluR2 protein and function on presynaptic terminals of PFC glutamatergic synapses. Restoring mGluR2 activity in vivo by local infusion of a group II mGluR agonist in adult rats that received nicotine as adolescents rescued attentional disturbances.