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Therapeutic potential of nicotine for methamphetamine-induced impairment of sensorimotor gating: involvement of pallidotegmental neurons

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Abstract

Introduction

We have previously found that a disruption to prepulse inhibiton (PPI) induced by methamphetamine (METH) is associated with impaired functioning of pallidotegmental neurons, which play a crucial role in PPI of the startle reflex, through the activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptors in pedunculopontine tegmental neurons in mice.

Objectives

Here, we examined the effect of nicotine on METH-induced impairment of PPI of the startle reflex focusing on dysfunctional pallidotegmental neurons and the neural system.

Results

Nicotine (0.15–0.5 mg/kg) ameliorated the deficit in PPI induced by acute METH, and the ameliorating effect of nicotine was antagonized by nicotinic receptor antagonists such as methyllycaconitine and dihydro-β-erythroidine. The acute METH-induced disruption of PPI was accompanied by suppression of c-Fos expression in the lateral globus pallidus (LGP) as well as its induction in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) in mice subjected to the PPI test. Nicotine-induced amelioration of PPI deficits in METH-treated mice was accompanied by a reversal of the changes in c-Fos expression in both the LGP and PnC to the basal level.

Conclusions

Nicotine is effective in ameliorating the impairment of PPI caused by METH, which may be associated with normalization of the pallidotegmental neurons.

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Abbreviations

Ach:

Acetylcholine

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders

DHβE:

Dihydro-β-erythroidine

DRN:

Dorsal raphe nucleus

GABA:

gamma-aminobutyric acid

LGP:

Lateral globus pallidus

METH:

Methamphetamine

nAChRs:

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

PFA:

Paraformaldehyde

PnC:

Caudal pontine reticular nucleus

PPI:

Prepulse inhibiton

PPTg:

Pedunculopontine tegmental neurons

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research (No.19390062) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and by grants for the 21st century COE program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan; the Smoking Research Foundation, Japan; JSPS and KOSEF under the Japan-Korea Basic Scientific Cooperation Program; the Academic Frontier Project for Private Universities, matching fund subsidy from MEXT, 2007–2011, Research on the Risk of Chemical Substances, Health and Labour Science Research Grants supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and JST, CREST, and GCOE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Hiroyuki Mizoguchi, Sawako Arai, Hiroyuki Koike, Daisuke Ibi, Kazuhiro Takuma & Kiyofumi Yamada

  2. Futuristic Environmental Simulation Center, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Hiroyuki Mizoguchi

  3. Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan

    Daisuke Ibi & Kiyofumi Yamada

  4. Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan

    Hiroyuki Kamei

  5. Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, Nagoya, 466-8503, Japan

    Toshitaka Nabeshima

  6. Neuropsychopharmacology and Toxicology Program, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, South Korea

    Hyoung-Chun Kim

  7. Laboratory of Medicinal Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Kazuhiro Takuma

  8. CREST-JST, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan

    Kiyofumi Yamada

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Mizoguchi
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  2. Sawako Arai
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  3. Hiroyuki Koike
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  4. Daisuke Ibi
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  5. Hiroyuki Kamei
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  6. Toshitaka Nabeshima
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  7. Hyoung-Chun Kim
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  8. Kazuhiro Takuma
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  9. Kiyofumi Yamada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kiyofumi Yamada.

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Mizoguchi, H., Arai, S., Koike, H. et al. Therapeutic potential of nicotine for methamphetamine-induced impairment of sensorimotor gating: involvement of pallidotegmental neurons. Psychopharmacology 207, 235–243 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1651-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1651-z

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