Title

Drug-induced activation of dopamine D(1) receptor signaling and inhibition of class I/II histone deacetylase induce chromatin remodeling in reward circuitry and modulate cocaine-related behaviors

Student Author(s)

Frederick Schroeder

Academic Program

Neuroscience

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute; Tapper Lab

Publication Date

2008-02-22

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Abstract

Chromatin remodeling, including histone modification, is involved in stimulant-induced gene expression and addiction behavior. To further explore the role of dopamine D(1) receptor signaling, we measured cocaine-related locomotor activity and place preference in mice pretreated for up to 10 days with the D(1) agonist SKF82958 and/or the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), sodium butyrate. Cotreatment with D(1) agonist and HDACi significantly enhanced cocaine-induced locomotor activity and place preference, in comparison to single-drug regimens. However, butyrate-mediated reward effects were transient and only apparent within 2 days after the last HDACi treatment. These behavioral changes were associated with histone modification changes in striatum and ventral midbrain: (1) a generalized increase in H3 phosphoacetylation in striatal neurons was dependent on activation of D(1) receptors; (2) H3 deacetylation at promoter sequences of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) in ventral midbrain, together with upregulation of the corresponding gene transcripts after cotreatment with D(1) agonist and HDACi. Collectively, these findings imply that D(1) receptor-regulated histone (phospho)acetylation and gene expression in reward circuitry is differentially regulated in a region-specific manner. Given that the combination of D(1) agonist and HDACi enhances cocaine-related sensitization and reward, the therapeutic benefits of D(1) receptor antagonists and histone acetyl-transferase inhibitors (HATi) warrant further investigation in experimental models of stimulant abuse.

DOI of Published Version

10.1038/npp.2008.15

Source

Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Nov;33(12):2981-92. Epub 2008 Feb 20. Link to article on publisher's site

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

PubMed ID

18288092

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