Endocannabinoids and Fear-Related Behavior in Mice Selectively Bred for High or Low Alcohol Preference

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have a high incidence of co-morbidity with stress-related psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Genetic and pharmacological studies support a prominent role for the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in modulating stress-related behaviors relevant to AUDs and PTSD. Mouse lines selectively bred for high (HAP) and low (LAP) alcohol preference show reproducible differences in fear-potentiated startle (FPS), a model for PTSD-related behavior. The first experiment in this study assessed levels of the endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and sn-2 arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala (AMG), and hippocampus (HIP) of male and female HAP1 and LAP1 mice following the expression of FPS to determine whether ECS responses to conditioned-fear stress (FPS) were correlated with genetic propensity toward high or low alcohol preference. The second experiment examined effects of a cannabinoid receptor type 1 agonist (CP55940) and antagonist (rimonabant) on the expression of FPS in HAP1 and LAP1 male and female mice. The estrous cycle of females was monitored throughout the experiments to determine if the expression of FPS differed by stage of the cycle. FPS was greater in male and female HAP1 than LAP1 mice, as previously reported. In both experiments, LAP1 females in diestrus displayed greater FPS than LAP1 females in metestrus and estrus. In the AMG and HIP, AEA levels were greater in male fear-conditioned HAP1 mice than LAP1 mice. There were no line or sex differences in effects of CP55940 or rimonabant on the expression of FPS. However, surprisingly, evidence for anxiogenic effects of prior treatment with CP55940 were seen in all mice during the third drug-free FPS test. These findings suggest that genetic differences in ECS function in response to fear-conditioning stress may underlie differences in FPS expression in HAP1 and LAP1 selected lines.

Asenapine reduces anxiety-related behaviours in rat conditioned fear stress model

ObjectiveAsenapine is an atypical antipsychotic that is currently available for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Although the atypical antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine are effective for depression and anxiety in schizophrenia, as demonstrated by animal model studies, this has not been clarified for asenapine. Therefore, we compared the effects of asenapine in the conditioned fear stress model with those of clozapine and olanzapine.MethodRats were individually fear conditioned using electrical foot shock in a Skinner box. Approximately 24 h later, individual animals were returned to the same Skinner box (without electrical shock) and their freezing behaviour was observed for 5 min. Animals were treated with asenapine, clozapine, olanzapine, the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist buspirone, or the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB242084 at 30 min before freezing behaviour assessment. The 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635 or the 5-HT2C receptor agonist Ro60-0175 was also used concomitantly with asenapine. The effects of asenapine, clozapine, and olanzapine on serotonin release in the rat hippocampus were also measured using in vivo microdialysis.ResultsAsenapine reduced freezing behaviour, while neither clozapine nor olanzapine reduced freezing behaviour. Buspirone and SB242084 also reduced freezing behaviour. The effect of asenapine in reducing freezing behaviour was not altered by the concomitant administration of WAY100635 or Ro60-0175. Both asenapine and clozapine, but not olanzapine, increased serotonin release in the rat hippocampus.ConclusionAsenapine may have superior therapeutic effect on anxiety symptoms than other agents, although the underlying mechanism of its anxiolytic activity remains unknown.

5‐HT depletion, but not 5‐HT1A antagonist, prevents the anxiolytic‐like effect of citalopram in rat contextual conditioned fear stress model

ObjectiveSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been widely used in the treatment of most anxiety disorders. In this study, to clarify the mechanism of the anxiolytic effect, we investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of the SSRI citalopram on rat contextual conditioned fear stress (CFS), an animal model of anxiety.MethodsRats individually received footshocks in a shock chamber. More than 1 day later, they were given citalopram and/or dl‐p‐chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), various subtype‐selective serotonin (5‐HT) receptor antagonists: the 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635, the 5‐HT2A receptor antagonist MDL 100907, the 5‐HT2C receptor antagonist SB 242084, the 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron, the 5‐HT4 receptor antagonist GR 125487, the 5‐HT6 receptor antagonist SB 258585 or the 5‐HT7 receptor antagonist SB 269970. After drug administration, freezing behaviour, which was used as an index of anxiety, was analysed in the same shock chamber without shocks.ResultsCitalopram dose dependently reduced conditioned freezing behaviour. The anxiolytic‐like effect of citalopram was prevented completely by pretreatment with the 5‐HT‐depleting agent PCPA, but not by the 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635. Furthermore, none of the subtype‐selective 5‐HT receptor antagonists significantly affected conditioned freezing or affected the anxiolytic‐like effect of citalopram.ConclusionThe anxiolytic‐like effect of citalopram in contextual CFS model depends on 5‐HT availability. In addition, contextual CFS model is suggested to be completely different from conventional anxiety models in neural mechanism or manners of serotonergic involvement. However, further studies are needed to identify the pharmacological mechanisms responsible for the anxiolytic‐like effect of citalopram.