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Negative/null result

Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine

[version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
PUBLISHED 12 Mar 2013
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Abstract

We investigated the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) in methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization. The mGluR5 positive allosteric modulator (3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl) benzamide (CDPPB) and negative allosteric modulator fenobam were tested in separate experiments. Sprague-Dawley rats were repeatedly injected with 1 mg/kg methamphetamine or saline, and then given a locomotor challenge test using a dose of 0.5 mg/kg methamphetamine. Prior to the challenge test session, rats were injected with CDPPB, fenobam, or a vehicle.  Doses from previous studies showed reduced drug-conditioned behavior; however in this study neither CDPPB nor fenobam pretreatment resulted in an altered expression of behavioral sensitization, indicating a lack of mGluR5 involvement in sensitized methamphetamine-induced locomotion. Additionally, the high dose (30 mg/kg) of fenobam resulted in decreased methamphetamine-induced locomotion in rats regardless of drug exposure history, which suggests evidence of nonspecific behavioral inhibition.

Keywords

methamphetamine, sensitization, mGluR5, allosteric modulator

Introduction

Compulsive drug use and associated maladaptive behaviors are cardinal features of methamphetamine (METH) addiction, and have been strongly associated with the neurochemical consequences of repeated METH abuse13. Among the various neurotransmitter systems affected by METH exposure is the glutamate system, where long-lasting drug-induced changes are suspected factors underlying craving and persistent vulnerability to relapse4. Due to their dual roles in mediating glutamatergic synaptic plasticity and control of synaptic glutamate release, the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) have emerged as therapeutic targets of interest in the study of drug addiction5. Antagonizing the excitatory postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been recently shown to attenuate the reinforcing effects of METH on a progressive ratio schedule, as well as attenuating drug-seeking behavior in rats previously trained to self-administer METH6. Selective stimulation of mGluR5 has been found to improve the rate of extinction learning in rats previously conditioned to the reinforcing effects of cocaine. This study investigated the role of mGluR5 in the behavioral changes induced by repeated exposure to METH, using positive and negative allosteric modulators of mGluR5 function in separate experiments.

The consequences of chronic METH abuse are often studied in the rat model of behavioral sensitization, where chronic METH injections reliably induce an elevated locomotor response to a subsequent METH challenge, relative to rats with no prior history of METH exposure811. Through their interactions with the dopaminergic projections of the medial forebrain, mGluRs have been found to have roles in both the development and expression of psychostimulant sensitization12. mGluR5 has been associated with the locomotor response and reinforcement attributes of psychostimulants since mice lacking this receptor were found not to respond to or self-administer cocaine as wild-type mice13. While antagonism of group I mGluRs, which includes mGluR5, in subsequent experiments has generally failed to convincingly affect locomotor sensitization to cocaine14, the effects of positive allosteric modulation on psychostimulant sensitization have so far remained untested. We evaluated the effect of the mGluR5 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) 3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (CDPPB) and the mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator (NAM) fenobam on the expression of behavioral sensitization to METH. We utilized doses of CDPPB that have been shown to improve extinction learning after METH [30 mg/kg15], and cocaine [60 mg/kg7], self-administration training, and doses of fenobam (10–30 mg/kg) that have effectively reduced drug-seeking in METH-trained rats in our laboratory16.

Methods and materials

Subjects

Eighty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (Harlan Laboratories, Livermore, CA), weighing 250–275 g, were pair-housed on arrival in a humidity-controlled colony room and maintained in a reversed light/dark cycle with free access to food and water throughout the experiment. All experimentation was conducted during the dark phase of the light/dark cycle. All procedures were conducted with the approval of the Institutional Care and Use Committee at Arizona State University and in accordance with the principles of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Research Council)17.

Drugs

3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (CDPPB, custom synthesized by Chemir Analytical Services, Maryland Heights, MO) was suspended in 10% v/v Tween 80 via sonication to form a 60 mg/ml concentration for intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration. Fenobam (1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-3-methyl-5-oxo-4H-imidazol-2-yl) urea (custom synthesized by Chemir Analytical Services) was suspended in 0.3% v/v Tween 80 vehicle to form a 30 mg/ml concentration for i.p. administration. (+)Methamphetamine hydrochloride (Sigma Aldrich, St Louis, MO) was dissolved in sterile saline for i.p. administration.

Locomotor testing procedures

Locomotor activity was assessed in a Rotorat System apparatus (Med Associates, Mt. St Albans, VT) that measured rotational ambulation, quantified as quarter turns in both directions, within a bowl-shaped arena (Figure 1A). The rats (N=43 in the CDPPB experiment, N=45 in the fenobam experiment) were divided into groups where half of the rats received five injections of 1 mg/kg METH dissolved in saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.), separated by 48 hours, and the other half received injections of saline of matching volume (Figure 1B). Each injection was immediately followed by a 90 min locomotor test session. After a 6-day waiting period in the colony room, all rats were given a saline injection (1 ml/kg, i.p.) and subjected to a locomotor test session. The next day, rats were injected with 0 (N=7), 30 (N=8) or 60 mg/kg (N=6–7) CDPPB in one experiment; or 0 (N=8), 10 (N=8) or 30 mg/kg (N=6–7) fenobam in the other experiment, and 30 min later given a challenge dose of 0.5 mg/kg METH and subjected to a 90 min locomotor test session.

fed215ab-c4e9-4dcb-9c2a-b7f4d14714b7_figure1.gif

Figure 1. Apparatus and experimental protocol.

The locomotor apparatus (A) consists of a rotating actuator anchored to a U-shaped bracket over a steel bowl-shaped arena (Med Associates; 18 in top diameter, 6 in bottom diameter, 6 in depth) containing a layer of Sani-chip bedding. The rat is attached to the actuator via 45 cm spring leash terminated with an alligator clip, which is hooked onto a cable tie around the neck for the duration of the test session. The apparatus registers rotational movements as the rat causes the actuator to pivot, accumulated by computer as quarter turns. The experimental procedure (B) consisted of three days of acclimation sessions in the locomotor arenas, followed by five injections of METH (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline separated by 48 hr (Days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9). After each injection, rats were placed into the locomotor arenas for 90 min and their rotational data were recorded as quarter turns. Rats underwent locomotor testing following a saline injection on Day 15, and these data were balanced between groups assigned to mGluR5 treatment or vehicle treatment. On Day 16, the rats were given an injection of the mGluR5 ligand (CDPPB or fenobam) or vehicle, and tested 30 min later following a probe injection of METH (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.).

Additional experiments were conducted to examine the effects of mGluR5 modulation on baseline locomotion. Rats were acclimated to the apparatus in 90 min sessions for two consecutive days, and on the next day given a 90 min locomotor test session 30 min after treatment with 0, 30 or 60 mg/kg CDPPB in one experiment (N=5); or 0, 10 or 30 mg/kg fenobam in another experiment (N=5).

Data analysis

Data analysis procedures were performed using Prism 5 (GraphPad, La Jolla, CA). For the sensitization experiments, quarter turn data (in either direction, totaled over 90 min) taken during the five chronic treatment sessions were analyzed using 2-way ANOVA with METH history (naïve, METH-treated) as a between-subjects factor and day (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) as a within-subjects factor. Locomotor behavior exhibited during the challenge sessions were quantified as quarter turns and analyzed using 2-way ANOVA with METH history and treatment (0, 30 or 60 mg/kg for the CDPPB experiment, and 0, 15 or 30 mg/kg for the fenobam experiment) as between-subjects factors. Significant interaction effects were followed by pairwise comparisons (Fisher’s LSD tests).

In the baseline locomotion experiments, quarter turn data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with CDPPB or fenobam treatment as the main factor.

Results

Elevated locomotion as a consequence of repeated METH treatment

In the CDPPB experiment, rats treated with repeated METH injections exhibited progressively increasing amounts of quarter turns, as confirmed by a significant main effect of METH history (F1,164 = 51.8, p < 0.0001) and a day × METH history interaction (F4,164 = 3.4, p < 0.05). In these rats, locomotion was significantly elevated from Day 1 levels (2110 ± 284) on Day 5 (3117 ± 401, p < 0.05, Fisher’s LSD test) and Day 7 (3432 ± 433, p < 0.01), but not Day 9 (Figure 2A and Table S1Table S2). Similarly, in the fenobam experiment, repeated injections of METH but not saline resulted in elevated quarter turns, as confirmed by significant main effects of day (F4,172 = 4.1, p < 0.005) and METH history (F1,172 = 60.9, p < 0.0001) and a day × METH history interaction (F4,172 = 6.0, p < 0.0005). In these rats, locomotion was significantly elevated from Day 1 levels (2175 ± 320) on Day 5 (3136 ± 297, p < 0.05, Fisher’s LSD test), Day 7 (3548 ± 388, p < 0.01) and Day 9 (3469 ± 438, p < 0.05, Figure 2B and Table S3Table S4).

fed215ab-c4e9-4dcb-9c2a-b7f4d14714b7_figure2.gif

Figure 2. Effects of mGluR5 treatment by CDPPB (top row) or fenobam (bottom row) on locomotion and methamphetamine (METH) behavioral sensitization.

In locomotor sessions prior to mGluR5-targeted treatment (A-B), rats were chronically given 1 mg/kg METH (filled circles) or saline (open circles). In both the CDPPB (A) and fenobam (B) experiments, the reported quarter turns progressively increased above first-day levels in the METH-exposed groups. *P < 0.05 different from Day 1 levels. In the subsequent test using 0.5 mg/kg METH in all groups (C), rats with a history of chronic METH exposure exhibited elevated locomotor behavior, but CDPPB pretreatment had no effect. In the fenobam experiment (D), rats with a history of chronic METH exposure also exhibited elevated locomotor activity, and this behavioral sensitization was not affected by 10 mg/kg fenobam pretreatment. After 30 mg/kg fenobam treatment, the METH-sensitized locomotor response was reduced from the vehicle level. *P < 0.05 difference between METH history groups, regardless of mGluR5 ligand treatment. +P < 0.05 different from vehicle treated group with matching history of METH exposure. PAM stands for positive allosteric modulation, and NAM stands for negative allosteric modulation.

Effect of mGluR5 modulation on locomotor sensitization to METH

In the CDPPB experiment, rats with a history of repeated METH treatments exhibited a greater number of quarter turns following a probe injection of 0.5 mg/kg METH, evidence of locomotor sensitization (Figure 2C and Table S5Table S6). This elevated response to METH was not attenuated by CDPPB pretreatment, as shown by the existence of a main effect of METH history (F1,37 = 10.7, p < 0.005) but no other main effects or interactions.

In the fenobam experiment, rats with a history of repeated METH treatments also exhibited elevated quarter turns following the 0.5 mg/kg METH probe (Figure 2D and Table S7Table S8). Pretreatment with fenobam attenuated the locomotor response to METH, regardless of METH exposure history, as revealed by the presence of main effects of METH history (F1,39 = 20.1, p < 0.001) and treatment (F2,39 = 6.7, p < 0.005), but no METH history × treatment interaction. However, pretreatment with the large dose of fenobam (30 mg/kg) resulted in significantly reduced METH-induced locomotion in rats with a history of chronic 1 mg/kg METH injections (0 mg/kg fenobam: 1192 ± 105 quarter turns vs. 30 mg/kg fenobam: 597 ± 150 quarter turns, p < 0.01, two-sample t-test), and produced a trend toward a significant reduction in rats with a history of saline injections (0 mg/kg fenobam: 622 ± 493 quarter turns vs. 30 mg/kg fenobam: 405 ± 106 quarter turns, P = 0.08).

Effect of mGluR5 modulation on baseline locomotion

All of the tested doses of CDPPB and fenobam had negligible effects on baseline locomotion, measured 30 min after time of injection. Both the 60 mg/kg dose of CDPPB (300 ± 92 quarter turns, vs. 345 ± 43 for the vehicle) and the 30 mg/kg dose of fenobam (389 ± 59 quarter turns, vs. 407 ± 74 for the vehicle) produced slightly attenuated locomotor responses, but no significant effects were revealed by ANOVA in either experiment (Figure 3 and Table S9Table S10).

fed215ab-c4e9-4dcb-9c2a-b7f4d14714b7_figure3.gif

Figure 3. Effects of mGluR5 treatment on baseline locomotion in previously drug-naïve rats.

CDPPB (A) or fenobam (B) was injected 30 min prior to locomotor testing. No significant effects were reported from the quarter turns collected over 90 min sessions.

Discussion

As expected, rats repeatedly injected with 1 mg/kg METH exhibited greater locomotor activity than the saline-treated rats, and demonstrated more activity during the latter sessions than the initial session. Treatment with CDPPB did not significantly alter METH-induced rotational locomotion, and treatment with fenobam only significantly reduced rotational locomotion at its highest dose (30 mg/kg). Neither CDPPB nor fenobam significantly attenuated the baseline locomotor activity of drug-naïve animals, although the small effect found for 30 mg/kg fenobam in that experiment (Figure 3B) could explain the moderate reduction of quarter turns exhibited by METH-challenged rats (Figure 2D) as a non-specific phenomenon. Thus, locomotor effects of mGluR5 modulation were largely absent at the dose ranges that have been shown in earlier studies to reduce operant behavior motivated by METH or cocaine training7,15,16,18,19.

These largely negative findings indicate that the maintenance of behavioral sensitization is likely mediated by neurobiological substrates other than mGluR5. These data are also in agreement with previous observations that mGluR5 function does not appear critical for the expression of locomotor sensitization to cocaine14,20, and extends them to include METH sensitization. Furthermore, the contribution of mGluR5 to initial locomotor responses to injected psychostimulants13 appears to be replaced by other neurochemical substrates with chronic drug exposure.

While mGluR5 is an important therapeutic target in researching treatments for addiction to psychostimulants as well as other abused substances, there is building evidence that the role of this receptor in drug-related behaviors changes with increasing exposure. A recent study of rats chronically exposed to METH sufficient to induce measurable conditioned place preference found a reduction of surface expression of mGluR5 in the medial prefrontal cortex21, an area known to contribute to the expression of behavioral sensitization4. The current findings using the behavioral sensitization model therefore suggest that the changes in the degree to which mGluR5 mediates drug-stimulated and drug-conditioned behavior previously shown to occur with chronic cocaine exposure might also take place in rats with a history of chronic METH exposure. The possibility of the changing roles among the various mGluR subfamilies as a result of drug exposure merits further studies utilizing animal models of METH-induced activity and motivated behavior.

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Kufahl PR, Nemirovsky NE, Watterson LR et al. Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] F1000Research 2013, 2:84 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.2-84.v1)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
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ApprovedThe paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested
Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit.
Not approvedFundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions
Version 1
VERSION 1
PUBLISHED 12 Mar 2013
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Reviewer Report 06 Jun 2013
Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson, Pharmacology & Physiology Faculty, IVS Pharma Consulting LLC, East Brunswick, NJ, USA 
Approved with Reservations
VIEWS 11
The present studies investigated the effects of positive and negative allosteric modulation of mGluR5 receptors on methamphetamine sensitization. The authors conclude that “Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization ... Continue reading
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HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT
Rosenzweig-Lipson S. Reviewer Report For: Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2013, 2:84 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.864.r987)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
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Reviewer Report 14 May 2013
Bianca Jupp, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 
Approved with Reservations
VIEWS 15
The publication by Kufahl and colleagues presents an investigation into the effect of positive and negative allosteric modulators of mGluR5 on the expression of locomotor sensitization to the psychostimulant methamphetamine, the results of which apparently support previous data regarding a ... Continue reading
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Jupp B. Reviewer Report For: Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2013, 2:84 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.864.r952)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
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Reviewer Report 18 Mar 2013
David Triggle, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA 
Approved
VIEWS 13
Although this is a report of primarily negative findings it is not without value and should be published. The premise of the research is reasonable, the methods appropriate and the conclusions appropriate and not ... Continue reading
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Triggle D. Reviewer Report For: Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2013, 2:84 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.864.r841)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.

Comments on this article Comments (0)

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Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article:
Approved - the paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested
Approved with reservations - A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit.
Not approved - fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions
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