Synaptic Depression Via Mglur1 Positive Allosteric Modulation Suppresses Cue-Induced Cocaine Craving
Document Type
Article
Version Deposited
Accepted for publication (PostPrint)
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Publication Title
Nature Neuroscience
DOI
10.1038/nn.3590
Abstract
Cue-induced cocaine craving is a major cause of relapse in abstinent addicts. In rats, cue-induced craving progressively intensifies (incubates) during withdrawal from extended-access cocaine self-administration. After ~1 month of withdrawal, incubated craving is mediated by Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) that accumulate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We found that decreased mGluR1 surface expression in the NAc preceded and enabled CP-AMPAR accumulation. Thus, restoring mGluR1 transmission by administering repeated injections of an mGluR1 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) prevented CP-AMPAR accumulation and incubation, whereas blocking mGluR1 transmission at even earlier withdrawal times accelerated CP-AMPAR accumulation. In studies conducted after prolonged withdrawal, when CP-AMPAR levels and cue-induced craving are high, we found that systemic administration of an mGluR1 PAM attenuated the expression of incubated craving by reducing CP-AMPAR transmission in the NAc to control levels. These results suggest a strategy in which recovering addicts could use a systemically active compound to protect against cue-induced relapse.
Recommended Citation
Loweth JA, Scheyer AF, Milovanovic M, LaCrosse AL, Flores-Barrera E, Werner CT, Li X, Ford KA, Le T, Olive MF, Szumlinski KK, Tseng KY, Wolf ME. Synaptic depression via mGluR1 positive allosteric modulation suppresses cue-induced cocaine craving. Nature Neuroscience. 2014 Jan;17(1):73-80. Epub 2013 Nov 24. doi: 10.1038/nn.3590. PMID: 24270186. PMCID: PMC3971923.
