The research program to be continued through this competing renewal is concerned with the role of the brain nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) opioid neuropeptide system in alcohol addiction. Studies during the previous funding period were dedicated to the treatment target potential of the N/OFQ system for alcohol abuse with emphasis on relapse prevention. The proposed studies are continuous with this work and have two overarching goals. The first is concerned with the behavioral effects of N/OFQ by (a) examining N/OFQ actions on several neurobehavioral effects of ethanol in rats with a history of ethanol (EtOH) dependence (i.e., a state in which neuroadaptive changes exist, including adaptations in the N/OFQ system, that add """"""""negative affect"""""""" as a motivational dimension to EtOH-seeking and reward, and that may modify the behavioral effects of N/OFQ system activation), (b) by establishing the effects of repeated N/OFQ administration to determine whether this treatment enhances the """"""""therapeutic"""""""" efficacy of N/OFQ activation as hypothesized on the basis of the preliminary data or, alternatively, results in tolerance to specific behavioral effects of the peptide, and (c) by comparing the behavioral effects of N/OFQ across lines of rats differing in EtOH preference, Wistar and Marchigian Sardinian Alcohol Preferring rats (msP), the latter carrying an innate dysregulation of the N/OFQ system. The second objective is to elucidate the neurobiological basis of the association between EtOH- induced (history of dependence) or innate (msP rats) alterations in N/OFQ function and EtOH-seeking or reward, as well as to determine whether repeated N/OFQ administration reverses these alterations in N/OFQ function. These objectives will be accomplished in a set of four Specific Aims. Three of these will focus on the effects of acute and repeated N/OFQ treatment on behavioral consequences associated with a history of ethanol dependence.
In SPECIFIC AIM 1 the effects of acute and repeated N/OFQ treatment on EtOH self- administration will be established in Wistar and in msP rats with vs. without a history of EtOH dependence.
In SPECIFIC AIM 2, animal models of relapse will be utilized to establish the effects of N/OFQ on EtOH-seeking induced by acute footshock stress or EtOH-associated contextual stimuli.
In SPECIFIC AIM 3, the effects of N/OFQ on increased anxiety and sensitivity to stress challenges will be examined in two behavioral models of anxiety. Finally, the goal of SPECIFIC AIM 4 is to determine how a history of EtOH dependence alters the function of the N/OFQ system in Wistar compared to msP rats, to identify changes in N/OFQ-NOP neurotransmission produced by repeated N/OFQ treatment in Wistar vs. msP rats, and thereby to shed light on the mechanisms responsible for the inhibitory actions of N/OFQ on EtOH intake, EtOH-seeking, anxiety, and stress reactivity. These studies will be conducted at several levels of analysis including N/OFQ peptide and NOP receptor mRNA expression by in situ hybridization, NOP receptor autoradiography, and measures of the functional status of NOP neurotransmission using [35S]GTP3S binding. The research plan has been developed with the objective of advancing understanding of the treatment target potential of the N/OFQ system, in particular, and of the biological basis of alcohol dependence, in general.

Public Health Relevance

The research proposed in this competing renewal application seeks to continue to elucidate the role of the brain nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) opioid neuropeptide system in alcohol abuse and addiction with emphasis on the treatment target potential of this system. This research is expected to advance understanding the biological basis of alcohol dependence, and to reveal novel treatment targets for alcohol abuse and alcoholism

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA014351-09
Application #
8474673
Study Section
Neurotoxicology and Alcohol Study Section (NAL)
Program Officer
Egli, Mark
Project Start
2003-07-01
Project End
2015-05-31
Budget Start
2013-06-01
Budget End
2014-05-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$351,005
Indirect Cost
$133,604
Name
Scripps Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
781613492
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92037
Kallupi, Marsida; Shen, Qianwei; de Guglielmo, Giordano et al. (2018) Buprenorphine requires concomitant activation of NOP and MOP receptors to reduce cocaine consumption. Addict Biol 23:585-595
Micheli, Laura; Lucarini, Elena; Corti, Francesca et al. (2018) Involvement of the N/OFQ-NOP system in rat morphine antinociceptive tolerance: Are astrocytes the crossroad? Eur J Pharmacol 823:79-86
Egervari, Gabor; Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Jentsch, J David et al. (2018) Shaping vulnerability to addiction - the contribution of behavior, neural circuits and molecular mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 85:117-125
Martin-Fardon, RĂ©mi; Weiss, Friedbert (2017) Perseveration of craving: effects of stimuli conditioned to drugs of abuse versus conventional reinforcers differing in demand. Addict Biol 22:923-932
Shen, Qianwei; Deng, Yulin; Ciccocioppo, Roberto et al. (2017) Cebranopadol, a Mixed Opioid Agonist, Reduces Cocaine Self-administration through Nociceptin Opioid and Mu Opioid Receptors. Front Psychiatry 8:234
Kallupi, Marsida; Scuppa, Giulia; de Guglielmo, Giordano et al. (2017) Genetic Deletion of the Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Receptor in the Rat Confers Resilience to the Development of Drug Addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 42:695-706
Ciccocioppo, Roberto (2017) Grand Challenge in Psychopharmacology: Setting Priorities to Shape a Bright Future. Front Psychiatry 8:15
Cannella, Nazzareno; Kallupi, Marsida; Li, Hong Wu et al. (2016) Neuropeptide S differently modulates alcohol-related behaviors in alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 233:2915-24
Rorick-Kehn, Linda M; Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Wong, Conrad J et al. (2016) A Novel, Orally Bioavailable Nociceptin Receptor Antagonist, LY2940094, Reduces Ethanol Self-Administration and Ethanol Seeking in Animal Models. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 40:945-54
Ubaldi, Massimo; Cannella, Nazzareno; Ciccocioppo, Roberto (2016) Emerging targets for addiction neuropharmacology: From mechanisms to therapeutics. Prog Brain Res 224:251-84

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