Article
Neurosciences
E. Andrew Townsend
Summary: The effects of KOR agonists on fentanyl reinforcement are contingent upon the administration conditions, as demonstrated in the study where contingent administration decreased fentanyl choice while non-contingent administration only reduced the number of choices made during the behavioral session.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Celsey M. St. Onge, Kaia M. Taylor, Madison M. Marcus, E. Andrew Townsend
Summary: Recent studies have found that social interaction can serve as an alternative reinforcer to opioid self-administration in rats. This study evaluated the sensitivity of a novel fentanyl-vs.-social interaction choice procedure to environmental and pharmacological manipulations. The results showed that this procedure was sensitive to fentanyl dose, chronic naltrexone treatment, and fentanyl response requirement, but less sensitive than established opioid-vs.-food choice procedures.
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Viktoria S. Egele, Robin Stark
Summary: This study examines the role of specific health beliefs in food choice and their relation to sex differences. The results show that sex differences in food choice are partially mediated by health beliefs, particularly in fruit, vegetable, and fish consumption. However, no mediation effects were found in meat, egg, cereal, and milk product consumption. Thus, health beliefs are important for fostering healthier food choices, especially for men.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
J. R. Bourgeois, P. J. Feustel, A. M. Kopec
Summary: Interest in sex as a biological variable has grown, and understanding the impact of sex in nociceptive assays is critical. This study examined the effect of sex on two choice-based thermal nociceptive tests in adult rats, revealing that male rats show more avoidance behavior than females to both hot and cold non-ambient temperatures.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
E. Andrew Townsend, Paul T. Bremer, Nicholas T. Jacob, S. Stevens Negus, Kim D. Janda, Matthew L. Banks
Summary: The study evaluated an optimized fentanyl-targeted vaccine in rhesus monkeys and found that vaccination eliminated fentanyl choice in most monkeys, supporting the potential for further clinical evaluation as a candidate Opioid Use Disorder medication.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Cathy S. Chen, Evan Knep, Autumn Han, R. Becket Ebitz, Nicola M. Grissom
Summary: Research on male and female mice in decision-making tasks revealed that males tend to make more exploratory choices while females learn more quickly during exploration. These sex differences are more prominent during periods of learning and exploration than during stable choices.
Article
Biology
Maria Pupikina, Evgenia Sitnikova
Summary: This study examined sex differences in behavior and tactile sensitivity in laboratory rats. The results showed that females demonstrated higher abilities of associative learning, lower tactile thresholds, and emitted less aversive ultrasonic calls compared to males. Overall, females exhibited better performance in fear-avoidance learning.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jeffrey W. Grimm, Katherine North, Madeleine Hopkins, Kyle Jiganti, Alex McCoy, Josef Sulc, Derek MacDougall, Frances Sauter
Summary: This study examined sex differences in sucrose taking and seeking using Long-Evans rats. The results showed that female rats consumed more sucrose and responded at higher rates for sucrose compared to males. This provides a pre-clinical model to further investigate sex differences in addiction behaviors.
BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh, Eleanor Blair Towers, Wendy J. Lynch
Summary: The study compared vulnerability to relapse following fentanyl self-administration and protracted abstinence in male and female rats, finding that females self-administered more fentanyl and responded at higher levels during extinction testing. Buprenorphine effectively reduced drug-seeking behavior and eliminated sex differences in drug-seeking, demonstrating the utility of this rat model for studying sex and hormonal influences on OUD.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jessica L. Sharp, Tallia Pearson, Mark A. Smith
Summary: Research has shown that there are sex differences in endogenous opioid peptides and receptors, resulting in functional differences in sensitivity to opioid receptor mediated behaviors between males and females. This review focuses on the influence of androgens on these effects and suggests that further investigation may lead to new treatment options for conditions like chronic pain and substance use disorders.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Haixia Li, Jie Wang, Xu Zhang, Yu Hu, Qinglin Cai, Ying Liu, Zhen Ma
Summary: This study analyzed the differences in mate choice behavior and criteria between males and females in Aequidens rivulatus. The results showed that males paid more attention to female attractiveness and preference degree, whereas females focused on male ability and appearance. These findings are crucial for improving artificial mating and determining successful mating.
Article
Substance Abuse
Jordan P. Davis, David Eddie, John Prindle, Emily R. Dworkin, Nina C. Christie, Shaddy Saba, Graham T. DiGuiseppi, John D. Clapp, John F. Kelly
Summary: The study found that risk factors for relapse to opioid use following treatment for opioid use disorder are mainly related to substance use problems and withdrawal symptoms in women, while in men they are mainly related to age, conduct disorder symptoms, and history of multiple substance use disorders.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Marzena Jezewska-Zychowicz, Marta Plichta, Malgorzata Ewa Drywien, Jadwiga Hamulka
Summary: Individuals with food neophobia tend to be older, have lower education levels, and higher BMI. They consume more vegetables, fruit, meat, and less convenience food and sweets. Food neophobics prefer healthy and tasteless foods, while neophilics choose unhealthy and tasty options. They also tend to not read price and shelf-life information on food labels. Actions focusing on food choice motives may help to mitigate the effects of food neophobia in adults.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel J. Kalamarides, Aditi Singh, Shannon L. Wolfman, John A. Dani
Summary: The effectiveness of current treatments for opioid use disorder varies by sex, and there is a lack of understanding about the neurobiological mechanisms mediating negative states during withdrawal, particularly in terms of sex differences. Preclinical research in male subjects suggests that opioid withdrawal is accompanied by increased GABA release probability in the VTA. However, it is uncertain if these findings extend to females. In this study, it was found that inhibitory synaptic long-term potentiation is occluded in the VTA in male mice after repeated morphine injections and withdrawal, while female mice maintain the ability to evoke synaptic potentiation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Keith L. Shelton, Katherine L. Nicholson
Summary: This study aimed to develop a highly translational model to explore the reinforcing effects of fentanyl and sufentanil aerosols in rats through discrete nose-only drug delivery. The results showed that the aerosols of these two potent opioids acted as reinforcers in rats under conditions comparable to the duration of e-cigarette use in humans, suggesting that e-cigarettes might be a potential alternative delivery mechanism for illicit opioids.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
E. Andrew Townsend, S. Stevens Negus, Matthew L. Banks
Summary: This review discusses preclinical evaluation methods for candidate medications to treat opioid use disorder, emphasizing the importance of drug self-administration procedures and assessment of opioid choice behavior. Additionally, the review highlights the significant impact of opioid dependence and withdrawal on the effects of candidate medications.
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
E. Andrew Townsend, Paul T. Bremer, Nicholas T. Jacob, S. Stevens Negus, Kim D. Janda, Matthew L. Banks
Summary: The study evaluated an optimized fentanyl-targeted vaccine in rhesus monkeys and found that vaccination eliminated fentanyl choice in most monkeys, supporting the potential for further clinical evaluation as a candidate Opioid Use Disorder medication.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Marco Venniro, Matthew L. Banks, Markus Heilig, David H. Epstein, Yavin Shaham
NATURE REVIEWS NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
D. E. Selley, M. L. Banks, C. M. Diester, A. M. Jali, L. P. Legakis, E. J. Santos, S. S. Negus
Summary: The pharmacodynamic efficacy of drugs in activating their receptors is crucial in determining drug effects. Fixed-proportion mixtures of an agonist and antagonist for a given receptor can be adjusted to precisely control net efficacy of the mixture in activating that receptor. Manipulation of agonist proportion in agonist/antagonist mixtures governs net mixture efficacy at the target receptor.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Annika Billefeld Bornebusch, Graeme F. Mason, Simone Tonetto, Jakob Damsgaard, Albert Gjedde, Anders Fink-Jensen, Morgane Thomsen
Summary: The study tested the use of β-hydroxybutyrate and a ketogenic diet during alcohol withdrawal to alleviate acute withdrawal symptoms. Results showed that adding β-hydroxybutyrate to the diet was effective in reducing handling-induced convulsions and anxiety-like behaviors during early withdrawal.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
E. Andrew Townsend, Kathryn L. Schwienteck, Hannah L. Robinson, Stephen T. Lawson, Matthew L. Banks
Summary: The study successfully transferred the intravenous drug-vs-food choice procedure from monkeys to male and female rats, and developed a surgical method suitable for long-term drug choice studies. Results showed that rats can be used to study drug choice behavior, and that choice behavior is stable in response to both environmental and pharmacological manipulations.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mette Kruse Klausen, Morgane Thomsen, Gitta Wortwein, Anders Fink-Jensen
Summary: Drug, alcohol and tobacco use disorders are a global burden. GLP-1 receptor agonists have potential as anti-addiction treatment. Animal and clinical studies have shown a reduction in alcohol and drug abuse with GLP-1 treatment.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Hannah L. Robinson, Matthew L. Banks
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Morgane Thomsen, Jill R. Crittenden, Craig W. Lindsley, Ann M. Graybiel
Summary: Stimulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M-1 and M-4 holds promise as a potential pharmacotherapy for cocaine use disorder. Previous studies have shown that M-4 stimulation can reduce the effects of cocaine, and combined M-1/M-4 stimulation or M-1 stimulation alone can lead to long-lasting reductions in cocaine taking and seeking. This research aims to determine whether M-4 approaches remain effective with repeated or chronic dosing, and the results indicate that M-4 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) can progressively suppress cocaine choice and intake without rebound or lasting effects after treatment ends. Additionally, the effects of M-1 versus M-4 stimulation on cocaine self-administration were compared, revealing that M-4-mediated suppression of cocaine self-administration is not dependent on the CalDAG-GEFI signaling factor required for M-1-mediated suppression. These findings support the potential usefulness of M-4 PAMs as pharmacotherapy for managing cocaine use disorder, either alone or in combination with M-1-selective ligands, and suggest that M-1 and M-4 stimulation modulate cocaine-taking behavior through distinct mechanisms.
Article
Neurosciences
Jill R. Crittenden, Shenyu Zhai, Magdalena Sauvage, Takashi Kitsukawa, Eric Burguiere, Morgane Thomsen, Hui Zhang, Cinzia Costa, Giuseppina Martella, Veronica Ghiglieri, Barbara Picconi, Karen A. Pescatore, Ellen M. Unterwald, Walker S. Jackson, David E. Housman, S. Barak Caine, David Sulzer, Paolo Calabresi, Anne C. Smith, D. James Surmeier, Ann M. Graybiel
Summary: CDGI is a protein highly enriched in the striatum, impacting neuronal signaling and drug self-administration. Its deletion results in a range of behavioral and learning dysfunctions.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Marie-Louise Allingbjerg, Stine N. Hansen, Anna Secher, Morgane Thomsen
Summary: GLP-1 receptor agonists can decrease alcohol intake through central mechanisms. In mice, microinfusions of the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 in the hippocampus and lateral septum reduced alcohol self-administration. Infusion of exendin-4 in the nucleus accumbens also decreased alcohol self-administration. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the ability of GLP-1 receptor agonists to reduce alcohol self-administration.
EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Claudia Diaz-Megido, Morgane Thomsen
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 on alcohol-seeking behavior, compare its potency and efficacy in reducing alcohol seeking versus alcohol intake, and examine the differences between male and female mice. The results showed that exendin-4 effectively suppressed alcohol seeking in male mice but had less pronounced effects in female mice. This study highlights the importance of including both sexes in further investigations into GLP-1 receptor agonists.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simone Tonetto, Pia Weikop, Tomasz Brudek, Morgane Thomsen
Summary: This study assessed the behavioral and neurochemical factors in two strains of mice to determine which one displayed clearer alcohol withdrawal symptoms and neurochemical alterations following re-exposure. The findings suggest that the B6 strain is suitable for studying the behavioral and neurochemical changes caused by alcohol withdrawal. The feasibility of these assays is important for understanding the long-lasting withdrawal symptoms that contribute to relapse in alcohol-dependent patients.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
S. B. Caine, S. Plant, K. Furbish, M. Yerton, E. Smaragdi, B. Niclou, J. M. Lorusso, J. Y. Chang, C. Bitter, A. Basu, S. Miller, C. -Y Huang, R. Komson, D. Liu, S. Behar, M. Thomsen
Summary: This study found significant behavioral and physiological differences between Sprague Dawley (SD) rats from different vendors, as well as differences in prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) between rat strains. Therefore, researchers should consider sampling rats from different vendors to find the most suitable source of subjects for their specific experiments before conducting their studies.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Maria Kyriakidou, Maitane Caballero-Puntiverio, Jesper T. Andreasen, Morgane Thomsen
Summary: This study compared the behaviors representing two different forms of impulsivity (choice impulsivity and waiting impulsivity) in mice and found that they showed dissimilar responses to the ADHD medication atomoxetine.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)