Sex differences in behavioral traits related with high sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of cocaine

Cocaine is the most prevalent illegal stimulant drug in Europe among the adult population. Its abuse is characterized by a faster substance abuse disorder (SUD) development than other drugs, with high vulnerability to relapse. However, there does not exist an effective treatment for cocaine dependence. Sex differences have been reported in psychological disorders including SUD. For this reason, it is essential to identify risk factors that predict susceptibility or resilience to cocaine addiction for the development of effective prevention strategies considering sex differences. In the present study, the main objective was to determine more sensitive phenotypes to the conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine in both sexes. Anxiety-like behavior and the locomotor response to novelty were evaluated in the elevated plus maze, and despair in the tail suspension test, as well as vulnerability traits linked with a high sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of a subthreshold dose of cocaine (1 mg/kg) in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in male and female mice. Our results indicated that only female mice with high anxiety, low locomotor response to novelty or low despair levels acquired CPP induced by cocaine, while male mice with low anxiety, high locomotor response to novelty or high despair levels presented a higher susceptibility to the rewarding effects of cocaine than others. These sex differences in the results reveal an opposite pattern in males and females on the relationship between anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and cocaine vulnerability, demonstrating the need to include female mice in preclinical studies

Ethanol intake in male mice exposed to social defeat: Environmental enrichment potentiates resilience

Large preclinical evidence shows that exposure to social defeat (SD) increases vulnerability to drug abuse, increasing the consumption of ethanol. However, not all subjects are equally affected by the changes induced by stress. Previous reports have evidenced that the resilient phenotype to depressive-like behaviors after SD is associated with the resistant phenotype to cocaine-increased rewarding effects and the smaller neuro- inflammatory response. The aim of the present study was to further clarify whether the resilient profile to depressive-like behavior also predicts a protection against the increase in ethanol intake induced by SD. The neuroinflammatory profile was studied after the end of the oral ethanol self-administration (SA) procedure, measuring levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and the chemokine CX3CL1 or fractalkine in the striatum and prefrontal cortex. Previous studies have shown that environmental enrichment (EE) is an effective mecha- nism to dimish the detrimental effects of social stress. In a second study, we aimed to evaluate if EE housing before exposure to SD could potentiate resilience. Our results showed that mice with a phenotype susceptible to SD-induced depressive-like behaviors showed increased ethanol consumption and increased neuroinflammatory signaling. In contrast, despite the lack of effect on depressive-like behaviors, defeated mice previously housed under EE conditions did not show an increase in ethanol SA or an increase in immune response. To sum up, the resilient phenotype to SD develops at different levels, such as depressive-like behaviors, ethanol consumption and the neuroinflammatory response. Our results also point to the protective role of EE in potentiating resilience to SD effects

Efecto de la cocaína sobre la inhibición por prepulso de la respuesta de sobresalto

La inhibición por prepulso (IPP) de la respuesta de sobresalto es una medida de sincronización sensitivomotora basada en la respuesta del reflejo de sobresalto. Un déficit en la IPP se ha observado en pacientes psiquiátricos, especialmente con esquizofrenia, así como en sujetos vulnerables a desarrollarla. Asimismo, los consumidores de cocaína presentan un alto índice de patologías psiquiátricas como la esquizofrenia

Oxytocin prevents the increase of cocaine-related responses produced by social defeat

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) plays a critical role in the regulation of social and emotional behaviors. OXT plays a role in the stress response and in drug reward, but to date no studies have evaluated its implication in the long-lasting increase of the motivational effects of cocaine induced by repeated social defeat (SD). During the social defeat procedure, 1 mg/kg of OXT was administered 30 minutes before each episode of SD. Three weeks after the last defeat, the effects of cocaine on conditioned place preference (CPP), locomotor sensitization and the self-administration (SA) paradigm were evaluated. Our results confirm that raising the levels of OXT during social defeat stress can block the long-lasting effects of this type of stress. OXT counteracts the anxiety induced by SD. Moreover, OXT prevents SD-induced increases in the motivational effects of cocaine. Administration of OXT before each social defeat blocked the SD-induced increment in the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine in the CPP, favors the extinction of cocaine-associated memories in both the CPP and SA, and decreases reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in the SA. In conclusion, the long-lasting effects of SD are counteracted by administering OXT prior to stress.Prometeo/2018/13

Binge eating of a high fat diet during adolescence modulates the rewarding effects of ethanol

Binge-eating is considered a specific form of overeating characterized by intermittent and high caloric food intake in a short period of time. Epidemiologic studies support a positive relation between the ingestion of fat and ethanol (EtOH), specifically among adolescent subjects. The aim of this work was to clarify the role of the compulsive, limited and intermittent intake of a high-fat food during adolescence on the rewarding effects of EtOH. After binge eating for 2 h, three days a week from postnatal day 29, the reinforcing effects of EtOH were tested with EtOH self-administration (SA) and conditioned place preference (CPP). Animals in the high fat binge (HFB) group that underwent the EtOH SA procedure presented greater EtOH consumption and a higher motivation to obtain the drug. HFB mice also developed preference for the paired compartment in the CPP with a subthreshold dose of EtOH. After the SA procedure, HFB mice exhibited reduced levels of the mu opioid receptor (MOr) and increased cannabinoid 1 receptor gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (N Acc), and decreased of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Taken together the results suggest that bingeing on fat may represent a vulnerability factor to an escalation of EtOH consumption

Pintados de verde

El proyecto no ha sido publicado. Resumen basado en ficha elaborada por las autorasEl proyecto se lleva a cabo en el CP Dobra, por parte de 10 profesores del centro. Los objetivos son: favorecer la integración del centro en el entorno a través de su conocimiento y valoración; propiciar la participación y colaboración de toda la comunidad educativa en la vida del centro; conferir al centro un carácter propio incluyendo en el proyecto educativo y en el proyecto curricular objetivos de carácter medio ambiental propuestos por el consejo escolar; introducir la conciencia medioambiental fomentando el respeto, la valoración y el cuidado del entorno; aprovechar didácticamente los recursos naturales que ofrece el entorno; crear una línea de conexión entre distintas actividades que se realizan a lo largo del curso. Para lograrlos se revisó los proyectos educativo y curricular, para incluir nuevas actividades, que posteriormente se llevaron a cabo con los alumnos, intentando orientar hacia la temática medioambiental todas las asignaturas. El equipo de trabajo considera cumplidos todos los objetivos, además cree que es una actividad muy positiva para los alumnos. Se han empleado materiales fungibles, cámara de fotos, un lector de DVD, pequeños electrodomésticos, etc..Consejería de Educación y Juventud de CantabriaCantabriaES

Seminario Integrador 2 - ME169 - 202101

Curso de la especialidad de la carrera de medicina, de carácter teórico del ciclo 9, en el que los estudiantes al realizar la revisión y análisis de casos, elaboran los diagnósticos, los planes de trabajo y terapéuticos pertinentes para el caso clínico respectivo. El curso de seminario integrador 2 busca desarrollar las competencias generales de: comunicación oral (nivel 3) 1y las competencias específicas de práctica clínica-promoción, prevención y tratamiento (nivel 2) y profesionalismo- aprendizaje autonómo y desarrollo profesional (nivel 3). El curso de seminario integrador 2 les permitirá a los estudiantes tomar decisiones ante los diferentes retos diagnósticos del paciente adulto con un problema médico o quirúrgico como miembro de un equipo interprofesional en su futura vida profesional