Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Brain Structure and Function 7/2021

Open Access 01-09-2021 | Antidepressant Drugs | Original Article

Sudden cessation of fluoxetine before alcohol drinking reinstatement alters microglial morphology and TLR4/inflammatory neuroadaptation in the rat brain

Authors: Jesús Aranda, María del Mar Fernández-Arjona, Francisco Alén, Patricia Rivera, Leticia Rubio, Inés Smith-Fernández, Francisco Javier Pavón, Antonia Serrano, Pedro J. Serrano-Castro, Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca, Juan Suárez

Published in: Brain Structure and Function | Issue 7/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Preclinical studies on the effects of abrupt cessation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a medication often prescribed in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients with depression, results in alcohol consumption escalation after resuming drinking. However, a potential neuroinflammatory component on this escalation remains unexplored despite the immunomodulatory role of serotonin. Here, we utilized a rat model of 14-daily administration of the SSRI fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day) along alcohol self-administration deprivation to study the effects of fluoxetine cessation on neuroinflammation after resuming alcohol drinking. Microglial morphology and inflammatory gene expression were analyzed in prelimbic cortex, striatum, basolateral amygdala and dorsal hippocampus. Results indicated that alcohol drinking reinstatement increased microglial IBA1 immunoreactivity and altered morphometric features of activated microglia (fractal dimension, lacunarity, density, roughness, and cell area, perimeter and circularity). Despite alcohol reinstatement, fluoxetine cessation modified microglial morphology in a brain region-specific manner, resulting in hyper-ramified (spatial complexity of branching), reactive (lower heterogeneity and circularity)-like microglia. We also found that microglial cell area correlated with changes in mRNA expression of chemokines (Cx3cl1/fractalkine, Cxcl12/SDF1α, Ccl2/MCP1), cytokines (IL1β, IL6, IL10) and the innate immune toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in dorsal hippocampus. Specifically, TLR4 correlated with microglial spatial complexity assessed by fractal dimension in striatum, suggesting a role in process branching. These findings suggest that alcohol drinking reinstatement after fluoxetine treatment cessation disturbs microglial morphology and reactive phenotype associated with a TLR4/inflammatory response to alcohol in a brain region-specific manner, facts that might contribute to alcohol-induced damage through the promotion of escalation of alcohol drinking behavior.
Literature
go back to reference Alboni S, Poggini S, Garofalo S, Milior G, El Hajj H, Lecours C, Girard I, Gagnon S, Boisjoly-Villeneuve S, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Tremblay MÈ, Maggi L, Branchi I (2016) Fluoxetine treatment affects the inflammatory response and microglial function according to the quality of the living environment. Brain Behav Immun 58:261–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.07.155CrossRefPubMed Alboni S, Poggini S, Garofalo S, Milior G, El Hajj H, Lecours C, Girard I, Gagnon S, Boisjoly-Villeneuve S, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Tremblay MÈ, Maggi L, Branchi I (2016) Fluoxetine treatment affects the inflammatory response and microglial function according to the quality of the living environment. Brain Behav Immun 58:261–271. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​bbi.​2016.​07.​155CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Alboni S, van Dijk RM, Poggini S, Milior G, Perrotta M, Drenth T, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Amrein I, Cirulli F, Maggi L, Branchi I (2017) Fluoxetine effects on molecular, cellular and behavioral endophenotypes of depression are driven by the living environment. Mol Psychiatry 22:552–561. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2015.142CrossRefPubMed Alboni S, van Dijk RM, Poggini S, Milior G, Perrotta M, Drenth T, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Amrein I, Cirulli F, Maggi L, Branchi I (2017) Fluoxetine effects on molecular, cellular and behavioral endophenotypes of depression are driven by the living environment. Mol Psychiatry 22:552–561. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1038/​mp.​2015.​142CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Antón M, Alén F, Gómez de Heras R, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Orio L (2017) Oleoylethanolamide prevents neuroimmune HMGB1/TLR4/NF-kB danger signaling in rat frontal cortex and depressive-like behavior induced by ethanol binge administration. Addict Biol 22:724–741. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12365CrossRefPubMed Antón M, Alén F, Gómez de Heras R, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Orio L (2017) Oleoylethanolamide prevents neuroimmune HMGB1/TLR4/NF-kB danger signaling in rat frontal cortex and depressive-like behavior induced by ethanol binge administration. Addict Biol 22:724–741. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​adb.​12365CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Ballesta A, Alen F, Orio L, Arco R, Vadas E, Decara J, Vargas A, Gómez de Heras R, Ramírez-López M, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Suárez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F (2020) Abrupt cessation of reboxetine along alcohol deprivation results in alcohol intake escalation after reinstatement of drinking. Addict Biol 20:e12957. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12957CrossRef Ballesta A, Alen F, Orio L, Arco R, Vadas E, Decara J, Vargas A, Gómez de Heras R, Ramírez-López M, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Suárez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F (2020) Abrupt cessation of reboxetine along alcohol deprivation results in alcohol intake escalation after reinstatement of drinking. Addict Biol 20:e12957. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​adb.​12957CrossRef
go back to reference Crews FT, Sarkar DK, Qin L, Zou J, Boyadjieva N, Vetreno RP (2015) Neuroimmune function and the consequences of alcohol exposure. Alcohol Res 37(331–41):344–351 Crews FT, Sarkar DK, Qin L, Zou J, Boyadjieva N, Vetreno RP (2015) Neuroimmune function and the consequences of alcohol exposure. Alcohol Res 37(331–41):344–351
go back to reference Paxinos G, Watson C (2007) The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, 6th edn. Academic Press; Elsevier, New York, NY Paxinos G, Watson C (2007) The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, 6th edn. Academic Press; Elsevier, New York, NY
go back to reference Rivera P, Fernández-Arjona MDM, Silva-Peña D, Blanco E, Vargas A, López-Ávalos MD, Grondona JM, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Suárez J (2018) Pharmacological blockade of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) by URB597 improves memory and changes the phenotype of hippocampal microglia despite ethanol exposure. Biochem Pharmacol 157:244–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2018.08.005CrossRefPubMed Rivera P, Fernández-Arjona MDM, Silva-Peña D, Blanco E, Vargas A, López-Ávalos MD, Grondona JM, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Suárez J (2018) Pharmacological blockade of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) by URB597 improves memory and changes the phenotype of hippocampal microglia despite ethanol exposure. Biochem Pharmacol 157:244–257. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​bcp.​2018.​08.​005CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Simon O’Brien E, Legastelois R, Houchi H, Vilpoux C, Alaux-Cantin S, Pierrefiche O, André E, Naassila M (2011) Fluoxetine, desipramine, and the dual antidepressant milnacipran reduce alcohol self-administration and/or relapse in dependent rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 36:1518–1530. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2011.37CrossRefPubMed Simon O’Brien E, Legastelois R, Houchi H, Vilpoux C, Alaux-Cantin S, Pierrefiche O, André E, Naassila M (2011) Fluoxetine, desipramine, and the dual antidepressant milnacipran reduce alcohol self-administration and/or relapse in dependent rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 36:1518–1530. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1038/​npp.​2011.​37CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Suárez J, Khom S, Alén F, Natividad LA, Varodayan FP, Patel RR, Kirson D, Arco R, Ballesta A, Bajo M, Rubio L, Martin-Fardon R, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Roberto M (2020) Cessation of fluoxetine treatment increases alcohol seeking during relapse and dysregulates endocannabinoid and glutamatergic signaling in the central amygdala. Addict Biol 25:e12813. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12813CrossRefPubMed Suárez J, Khom S, Alén F, Natividad LA, Varodayan FP, Patel RR, Kirson D, Arco R, Ballesta A, Bajo M, Rubio L, Martin-Fardon R, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Roberto M (2020) Cessation of fluoxetine treatment increases alcohol seeking during relapse and dysregulates endocannabinoid and glutamatergic signaling in the central amygdala. Addict Biol 25:e12813. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​adb.​12813CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Suzumura A (2009) Neurotoxicity by microglia: the mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategy. Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi 100:243–247PubMed Suzumura A (2009) Neurotoxicity by microglia: the mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategy. Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi 100:243–247PubMed
go back to reference Tomaz VS, Chaves Filho AJM, Cordeiro RC, Jucá PM, Soares MVR, Barroso PN, Cristino LMF, Jiang W, Teixeira AL, de Lucena DF, Macedo DS (2020) Antidepressants of different classes cause distinct behavioral and brain pro- and anti-inflammatory changes in mice submitted to an inflammatory model of depression. J Affect Disord 268:188–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.022CrossRefPubMed Tomaz VS, Chaves Filho AJM, Cordeiro RC, Jucá PM, Soares MVR, Barroso PN, Cristino LMF, Jiang W, Teixeira AL, de Lucena DF, Macedo DS (2020) Antidepressants of different classes cause distinct behavioral and brain pro- and anti-inflammatory changes in mice submitted to an inflammatory model of depression. J Affect Disord 268:188–200. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​jad.​2020.​03.​022CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Sudden cessation of fluoxetine before alcohol drinking reinstatement alters microglial morphology and TLR4/inflammatory neuroadaptation in the rat brain
Authors
Jesús Aranda
María del Mar Fernández-Arjona
Francisco Alén
Patricia Rivera
Leticia Rubio
Inés Smith-Fernández
Francisco Javier Pavón
Antonia Serrano
Pedro J. Serrano-Castro
Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
Juan Suárez
Publication date
01-09-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Brain Structure and Function / Issue 7/2021
Print ISSN: 1863-2653
Electronic ISSN: 1863-2661
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02321-9

Other articles of this Issue 7/2021

Brain Structure and Function 7/2021 Go to the issue