Opioid receptor agonists are highly effective at producing analgesia, but their clinical use is hindered by the development of tolerance and high abuse liability resulting from activation of the neural reward circuitry. Therefore, understanding how opioids regulate reward circuits and how opioid receptor signaling changes with opioid exposure are key steps towards overcoming current clinical limitations of opioid therapy. One important reward pathway that releases and responds to opioids includes the hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. Recent data show that POMC neurons are regulated by opioids acting on POMC neurons and also by opioids acting on terminals presynaptic to POMC neurons. Interestingly, while postsynaptic mu opioid receptors on POMC neurons undergo desensitization within minutes, presynaptic mu opioid receptors that mediate the inhibition of transmitter release do not readily desensitize. The goals of the present proposal are to 1) determine the mechanisms underlying the presynaptic resistance to desensitization and 2) to determine the consequence of differential pre- and postsynaptic opioid receptor regulation. These goals will be achieved using electrophysiologic, optogenetic and imaging approaches in brain slices. The results may provide insight into ways to prevent postsynaptic receptor desensitization and will thoroughly define how opioids affect neuron activity in a reward circuit via pre- and postsynaptic receptors during acute and chronic exposure to opioids.

Public Health Relevance

In order to better treat chronic pain and to prevent opioid abuse, it is essential to understand how opioids affect the brain's reward pathways and to determine why opioids become less effective with repeated use. These are the overall goals of the proposed research.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA032562-04
Application #
8893929
Study Section
Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior Study Section (NMB)
Program Officer
Radman, Thomas C
Project Start
2012-09-15
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2016-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$309,436
Indirect Cost
$98,893
Name
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Department
Veterinary Sciences
Type
Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS #
785979618
City
Fort Collins
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80523
Rau, Andrew R; Hughes, Alexander R; Hentges, Shane T (2018) Various transgenic mouse lines to study proopiomelanocortin cells in the brain stem label disparate populations of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 315:R144-R152
Fox, Philip D; Hentges, Shane T (2017) Differential Desensitization Observed at Multiple Effectors of Somatic ?-Opioid Receptors Underlies Sustained Agonist-Mediated Inhibition of Proopiomelanocortin Neuron Activity. J Neurosci 37:8667-8677
Rau, Andrew R; Hentges, Shane T (2017) The Relevance of AgRP Neuron-Derived GABA Inputs to POMC Neurons Differs for Spontaneous and Evoked Release. J Neurosci 37:7362-7372
Pennock, Reagan L; Hentges, Shane T (2016) Desensitization-resistant and -sensitive GPCR-mediated inhibition of GABA release occurs by Ca2+-dependent and -independent mechanisms at a hypothalamic synapse. J Neurophysiol 115:2376-88
Pennock, Reagan L; Hentges, Shane T (2014) Direct inhibition of hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin neurons by dynorphin A is mediated by the ?-opioid receptor. J Physiol 592:4247-56
Matsui, Aya; Jarvie, Brooke C; Robinson, Brooks G et al. (2014) Separate GABA afferents to dopamine neurons mediate acute action of opioids, development of tolerance, and expression of withdrawal. Neuron 82:1346-56
Dicken, Matthew S; Tooker, Ryan E; Hentges, Shane T (2012) Regulation of GABA and glutamate release from proopiomelanocortin neuron terminals in intact hypothalamic networks. J Neurosci 32:4042-8
Pennock, Reagan L; Dicken, Matthew S; Hentges, Shane T (2012) Multiple inhibitory G-protein-coupled receptors resist acute desensitization in the presynaptic but not postsynaptic compartments of neurons. J Neurosci 32:10192-200
Pennock, Reagan L; Hentges, Shane T (2011) Differential expression and sensitivity of presynaptic and postsynaptic opioid receptors regulating hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin neurons. J Neurosci 31:281-8