PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Silencing synapses

Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Joe Miksch
jmiksch@pitt.edu
412-624-4358
University of Pittsburgh
Silencing synapses Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction PITTSBURGH—Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that a method of biologically manipulating certain neurocircuits could lead to a pharmacological approach that would weaken post-withdrawal cocaine cravings. The findings have been published in Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers led by Pitt neuroscience professor Yan Dong used rat models to examine the effects of cocaine addiction and withdrawal on nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens, a small region in the brain that is commonly associated with reward, emotion, motivation, and addiction. Specifically, they investigated the roles of synapses—the structures at the ends of nerve cells that relay signals.

When an individual uses cocaine, some immature synapses are generated, which are called "silent synapses" because they send few signals under normal physiological conditions. After that individual quits using cocaine, these "silent synapses" go through a maturation phase and acquire the ability to send signals. Once they can send signals, the synapses will send craving signals for cocaine if the individual is exposed to cues that previously led him or her to use the drug.

The researchers hypothesized that if they could reverse the maturation of the synapses, the synapses would remain silent, thus rendering them unable to send craving signals. They examined a chemical receptor known as CP-AMPAR that is essential for the maturation of the synapses. In their experiments, the synapses reverted to their silent states when the receptor was removed.

"Reversing the maturation process prevents the intensification process of cocaine craving," said Dong, the study's corresponding author and assistant professor of neuroscience in Pitt's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. "We are now developing strategies to maintain the 'reversal' effects. Our goal is to develop biological and pharmacological strategies to produce long-lasting de-maturation of cocaine-generated silent synapses."

Dong collaborated with Susan Sesack, Pitt professor of neuroscience; Oliver Schlüter, independent group leader at the European Neuroscience Institute; Yavin Shaham, senior investigator for the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse; Eric Nestler, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and director of the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Marina Wolf, professor and chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

The findings appear in "Maturation of silent synapses in amygdala-accumbens projection contributes to incubation of cocaine craving," which was published in the November print issue of Nature Neuroscience. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse and the German Research Foundation.

###

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored

2013-12-18
Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored Hacking the Earth's climate to counteract global warming – a subject that elicits strong reactions from both sides – is the topic of a December special issue of the journal Climatic Change. A dozen ...

TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds

2013-12-18
TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds The nutritional value of food and drinks advertised on children's television programs is worse than food shown in ads during general air time, according to University of Illinois at Chicago ...

Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior

2013-12-18
Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior VIDEO: Watch the flipping conformations in a pair of phenylalanine ...

DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle

2013-12-18
DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have created a new type of molecular motor made of DNA and demonstrated its potential by using it to transport a nanoparticle along the length of a carbon nanotube. The design ...

CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery

2013-12-18
CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery Study shows encouraging results for improving postoperative pain management and reducing the need for pain medicine after major pediatric urology procedures Orange, Calif. ...

EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen

2013-12-18
EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in normal colonic cells and is activated by specific peptide growth factors that regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. ...

Hubble watches super star create holiday light show

2013-12-18
Hubble watches super star create holiday light show This festive NASA Hubble Space Telescope image resembles a holiday wreath made of sparkling lights. The bright southern hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the center of the image, is swaddled in a gossamer ...

World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern

2013-12-18
World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern LOS ANGELES (Dec. 17, 2013) – Atrial fibrillation, long considered the most common condition leading to an irregular heartbeat, is a growing and serious global health ...

Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system

2013-12-18
Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system PORTLAND, Ore. — Medical science has known for years that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a reduced risk of death. In general, they are healthier and have better cardiovascular ...

Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells

2013-12-18
Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells 'Knowing the risk can help doctors and patients make informed treatment decisions,' researcher says Bladder cancer will kill upward of 170,000 people worldwide this year, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

Targeting FGFR2 may prevent or delay some KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancers

[Press-News.org] Silencing synapses
Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction