Faculty Collaboration Database

Traumatic Brain Injury and Alcohol Drinking Alter Basolateral Amygdala Endocannabinoids in Female Rats. J Neurotrauma 2021 Feb 15;38(4):422-434

Date

08/26/2020

Pubmed ID

32838651

Pubmed Central ID

PMC7875607

DOI

10.1089/neu.2020.7175

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85092900013 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   7 Citations

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects approximately 3 million Americans yearly and increases vulnerability to developing psychiatric comorbidities. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis preceding injury and TBI may increase subsequent alcohol use. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a limbic structure commonly affected by TBI that is implicated in anxiety and AUD. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) regulate synaptic activity in the BLA, and BLA eCB modulation alters anxiety-like behavior and stress reactivity. Previous work from our laboratories showed that systemic eCB degradation inhibition ameliorates TBI-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior and motivation to respond for alcohol in male rats. Here, we used a lateral fluid percussion model to test moderate TBI effects on anxiety-like behavior, alcohol drinking, and eCB levels and cell signaling in BLA, as well as the effect of alcohol drinking on anxiety-like behavior and the BLA eCB system, in female rats. Our results show that TBI does not promote escalation of operant alcohol self-administration or increase anxiety-like behavior in female rats. In the BLA, TBI and alcohol drinking alter tissue amounts of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) 1 h post-injury, and 2-AG levels remain low 11 days post-injury. Eleven days after injury, BLA pyramidal neurons were hyperexcitable, but measures of synaptic transmission and eCB signaling were unchanged. These data show that TBI impacts BLA 2-AG tissue levels, that this effect is modified by alcohol drinking, and also that TBI increases BLA cell excitability.

Author List

Stielper ZF, Fucich EA, Middleton JW, Hillard CJ, Edwards S, Molina PE, Gilpin NW

Author

Cecilia J. Hillard PhD Associate Dean, Center Director, Professor in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Alcohol Drinking
Animals
Anxiety
Arachidonic Acids
Basolateral Nuclear Complex
Brain Injuries, Traumatic
Endocannabinoids
Female
Polyunsaturated Alkamides
Rats
Rats, Wistar