Accumbens neuroimmune signaling and dysregulation of astrocytic glutamate transport underlie conditioned nicotine‐seeking behavior

Autor: Gregory L. Powell, Cassandra D. Gipson, Ian A. Vicino, Mark D. Namba, Yonatan M. Kupchik, Constanza Garcia-Keller, Sade Spencer, Ian B. Hogue, Julianna Goenaga
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: Addict Biol
ISSN: 1369-1600
1355-6215
DOI: 10.1111/adb.12797
Popis: Nicotine self-administration is associated with decreased expression of the glial glutamate transporter (GLT-1) and the cystine-glutamate exchange protein xCT within the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been shown to restore these proteins in a rodent model of drug addiction and relapse. However, the specific molecular mechanisms driving its inhibitory effects on cue-induced nicotine reinstatement are unknown. Here, we confirm that extinction of nicotine-seeking behavior is associated with impaired NAcore GLT-1 function and expression and demonstrate that reinstatement of nicotine seeking rapidly enhances membrane fraction GLT-1 expression. Extinction and cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking was also associated with increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in the NAcore. NAC treatment (100 mg/kg/day, i.p., for 5 days) inhibited cue-induced nicotine seeking and suppressed AMPA to NMDA current ratios, suggesting that NAC reduces NAcore post-synaptic excitability. In separate experiments, rats received NAC and an antisense vivo-morpholino to selectively suppress GLT-1 expression in the NAcore during extinction and were subsequently tested for cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking. NAC treatment rescued NAcore GLT-1 expression and attenuated cue-induced nicotine seeking, which was blocked by GLT-1 antisense. NAC also reduced TNFα expression in the NAcore. Viral manipulation of the NF-κB pathway, which is downstream of TNFα, revealed that cue-induced nicotine seeking is regulated by NF-κB pathway signaling in the NAcore independent of GLT-1 expression. Ultimately, these results are the first to show that immunomodulatory mechanisms may regulate known nicotine-induced alterations in glutamatergic plasticity that mediate cue-induced nicotine-seeking behavior.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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